When a grocery store in Süderlügum, Germany offered $276 in free groceries to anyone willing to shop naked, they expected maybe 10 brave souls. They got more like 250, including folks from nearby Denmark who cross the border to shop for cheaper alcohol. This video is, I hardly need to tell you, not really safe for work -- although there's nothing all that titillating about it.
Tag Archives: Denmark
![[Hafenstrasse, Copenhagen, Denmark] (LOC)](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/3174172031_08d8592362_m.jpg "[Hafenstrasse, Copenhagen, Denmark] (LOC)")
North Road Restaurant: Another notch in the Danish gastronomic revolution
24 Jun
Reblogged from The Daily Norm:
Denmark, the country that brought us Lego, the Little Mermaid and a whole host of funky, fresh and chic interior design ideas is currently leading the world with its gastronomic innovation. René Redzepi's two-Michelin starred extravaganza, Noma, has been awarded the ultimate accolade of Best Restaurant in the World for the last three years in a row, stealing the crown from the extended reign of El Bulli long before it closed.
Transparent Cube In Copenhagen Harbour
19 May
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects designed the hedquarters for one of Denmark’s leading mortgage banks, Nykredit. The ten-storey glass structure amply endows the office spaces with natural light from the harbour, thus linking the floors together. The CEO’s office is situated on the 9th floor and contains a clothing cabinet with a hidden escape hatch, built on his request.
Classical Music In Danish Subway
14 MayPassengers in the Copenhagen Metro were surprised by a Philharmonic Orchestra’s Peer Gynt performance.
A Collection Of Epic Individuals
22 Nov
Solvay Conference, 1927
Back: A. Piccard, E. Henriot, P. Ehrenfest, E. Herzen, Th. De Donder, E. Schrödinger, J.E. Verschaffelt, W. Pauli, W. Heisenberg, R.H. Fowler, L. Brillouin;
Middle: P. Debye, M. Knudsen, W.L. Bragg, H.A. Kramers, P.A.M. Dirac, A.H. Compton, L. de Broglie, M. Born, N. Bohr;
Front: I. Langmuir, M. Planck, M. Curie, H.A. Lorentz, A. Einstein, P. Langevin, Ch. E. Guye, C.T.R. Wilson, O.W. Richardson
Sovereigns Of The World, 1889
From Left To Right:
- Yohannes IV of Ethiopia
- Tewfik Pasha of Egypt
- Sultan Abdülhamit II of the Ottoman Empire
- Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Persia
- Christian IX of Denmark
- Luís I of Portugal
- William III of the Netherlands
- Pedro II of Brazil
- Milan Obrenović IV of Serbia
- Leopold II of Belgium
- Alexander III of Russia
- Wilhelm I, German Emperor
- Franz Joseph I of Austria
- Victoria of the United Kingdom
- Jules Grévy of France
- Pope Leo XIII
- Emperor Meiji of Japan
- Guangxu Emperor of China
- Umberto I of Italy
- Alfonso XII of Spain
- Oscar II of the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
- Grover Cleveland of the United States of America
I bet they had some brilliant drunken conversations after these gatherings!
Sentences To Ponder
1 Jan
The Newmark’s Door spotted some entertaining attempts to answer «Whys?» the past year:
«Why cold, dark, small, and depressive nations top the rankings».
Norway, one of the «cold, dark, small, and depressive nations» that usually top rankings. Image via Wikipedia
«Why Are We Beginning to Hate Congress?» [«Beginning to»?]
«Why Do Harvard Kids Head to Wall Street?».
«Why Do IQ Scores Vary By Nation?».
«Why Are Fewer and Fewer U.S. Employees Satisfied With Their Jobs?»
«Why We Dream: Real Reasons Revealed».
«Why Texas is doing so much better economically than the rest of the nation».
«Why GPS voices are so condescending».
«Why the Latest Frontier of Statistical Research in Baseball Is Defense».
No. 1. Business Nation: Denmark – Not That Rotten After All
9 Sep
Denmark: Most competetive nation in the world. Image via Wikipedia
The Danish people are truly lucky; they have both the best environment for business and the happiest people in the world. What do the majority in the Top 10 ranking have in common? They are all open to trade, heavily influenced by Anglo-Saxon culture and have the U.S and U.K as major trading partners. This is what Forbes wrote about Denmark:
“Grabbing the top spot for a third straight year is Denmark. Its $309 billion economy struggled in 2009, like the rest of the world, with GDP down 4.7%, but when it comes to advantageous business climates the Danes reign supreme. Denmark scored in the top five among all countries in four of the 11 categories we considered as part of the ranking, including property rights, technology, corruption and personal freedom.”
The study also examined investor protection and stock market performance in the 128 economies. The study was based on research and published reports from the Central Intelligence Agency, Freedom House, Heritage Foundation, Property Rights Alliance, Transparency International, World Bank and World Economic Forum to compile the rankings. Forbes explains the U.S poor performance like this:
“Blame the high tax burden and a poor showing on trade and monetary freedom compared with many other developed nations. The 35% federal corporate tax rate is the highest of any OECD country according to the Tax Foundation. Meanwhile the government’s significant intervention in the economy during the economic downturn has weakened economic freedom in the U.S. One bright spot for America: It still ranks first when it comes to innovation.”
You find the complete ranking and full coverage from Forbes here.
| RANK | NAME | GDP GROWTH (%) | GDP/CAPITA ($) | TRADE BALANCE AS % OF GDP | POPULATION (MIL) | FEDERAL BUDGET BALANCE AS % OF GDP |
| 1 | Denmark | -4.7 | 36,000 | 2.9 | 5.5 | 41.6 |
| 2 | Hong Kong | -2.8 | 42,800 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 37.4 |
| 3 | New Zealand | -1.6 | 27,400 | -2.8 | 4.2 | 22.2 |
| 4 | Canada | -2.5 | 38,200 | -2.7 | 33.5 | 75.4 |
| 5 | Singapore | -1.3 | 52,200 | 14.3 | 4.7 | 113.1 |
| 6 | Ireland | -7.6 | 41,000 | -2.9 | 4.2 | 57.7 |
| 7 | Sweden | -5.1 | 36,600 | 7.3 | 9.1 | 35.8 |
| 8 | Norway | -1.5 | 57,400 | 14.4 | 4.7 | 60.6 |
| 9 | United States | -2.6 | 46,000 | -2.9 | 307.2 | 52.9 |
| 10 | United Kingdom | -4.9 | 34,800 | -1.5 | 61.1 | 54 |
| 11 | Finland | -8.1 | 34,100 | 1.2 | 5.3 | 44 |
| 12 | Australia | 1.3 | 40,000 | -3.0 | 21.3 | 17.6 |
| 13 | Netherlands | -3.9 | 39,500 | 5.4 | 16.7 | 62.2 |
| 14 | Belgium | -2.7 | 36,800 | 0.9 | 10.4 | 97.6 |
| 15 | Switzerland | -1.5 | 41,400 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 40.5 |
| 16 | Israel | 0.2 | 28,400 | 3.7 | 7.2 | 78.4 |
| 17 | Luxembourg | -3.4 | 79,600 | 18.1 | 0.5 | 14.9 |
| 18 | Iceland | -6.5 | 39,600 | -3.4 | 0.3 | 107.6 |
| 19 | Estonia | -14.1 | 18,500 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 7.2 |
| 20 | Germany | -4.9 | 34,100 | 4.0 | 82.3 | 72.1 |
| 21 | France | -2.5 | 32,600 | -2.1 | 64.4 | 77.5 |
| 22 | Cyprus | -1.5 | 21,000 | -8.6 | 1.1 | 56.2 |
| 23 | Chile | -1.7 | 14,600 | 2.6 | 16.6 | 6.1 |
| 24 | Portugal | -2.7 | 21,700 | -10.3 | 10.7 | 76.9 |
| 25 | Taiwan | -1.9 | 32,000 | 11.2 | 23.0 | 32.5 |
Something Is Rotten In The State Of Denmark
24 Aug
“This is an analysis from Denmark’s Labor Market Commission. Many people simply stay unemployd because of the benefits.”
[via Coyote Blog]
This is what The New York Times reported last week:
“For years, Denmark was held out as a model to countries with high unemployment and as a progressive touchstone to liberals in the United States. The Danes, despite their lavish social welfare state, managed to keep joblessness remarkably low.
Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr
But now Denmark, which allows employers to hire and fire at will while relying on an elaborate system of training, subsidies for those between jobs and aggressive measures to press the unemployed into available openings, is facing its own strains. As a result, it is beginning to tighten up.
Struggling to keep its budget under control after the financial crisis, the government in June cut into its benefits system, the world’s most generous, by limiting unemployment payments to two years instead of four.”
Full story: Denmark Starts to Trim Its Admired Safety Net.
Ranking The Happiest Nations
21 Aug
Image via Wikipedia
“The fact is good times probably have more to do with the size of your wallet than the size of your trophy shelf. The five happiest countries in the world; Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands–are all clustered in the same region, and all enjoy high levels of prosperity.”
| RANK
(BY % THRIVING) |
COUNTRY | REGION | PERCENT
THRIVING |
PERCENT
STRUGGLING |
PERCENT
SUFFERING |
DAILY
EXPERIENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | Europe | 82 | 17 | 1 | 7.9 |
| 2 | Finland | Europe | 75 | 23 | 2 | 7.8 |
| 3 | Norway | Europe | 69 | 31 | 0 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Netherlands | Europe | 68 | 32 | 1 | 7.7 |
| 4 | Sweden | Europe | 68 | 30 | 2 | 7.9 |
| 6 | Costa Rica | Americas | 63 | 35 | 2 | 8.1 |
| 6 | New Zealand | Asia | 63 | 35 | 2 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Australia | Asia | 62 | 35 | 3 | 7.5 |
| 8 | Switzerland | Europe | 62 | 36 | 2 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Israel | Asia | 62 | 35 | 3 | 6.4 |
| 8 | Canada | Americas | 62 | 36 | 2 | 7.6 |
| 12 | Brazil | Americas | 58 | 40 | 2 | 7.5 |
| 12 | Panama | Americas | 58 | 39 | 3 | 8.4 |
| 14 | Austria | Europe | 57 | 40 | 3 | 7.7 |
| 14 | United States | Americas | 57 | 40 | 3 | 7.3 |
| 16 | Belgium | Europe | 56 | 41 | 3 | 7.3 |
| 17 | United Kingdom | Europe | 54 | 44 | 2 | 7.4 |
| 18 | Turkmenistan | Asia | 52 | 47 | 1 | 7.5 |
| 18 | Mexico | Americas | 52 | 43 | 5 | 7.7 |
| 20 | United Arab Emirates | Asia | 51 | 48 | 1 | 7.7 |
| 21 | Venezuela | Americas | 50 | 48 | 2 | 8.0 |
| 22 | Ireland | Europe | 49 | 49 | 2 | 7.5 |
| 23 | Iceland | Europe | 47 | 49 | 4 | 8.2 |
| 23 | Puerto Rico | Americas | 47 | 45 | 8 | 7.6 |
| 23 | Kuwait | Asia | 47 | 50 | 3 | 7.0 |
| 26 | Colombia | Americas | 46 | 47 | 7 | 7.7 |
| 26 | Jamaica | Americas | 46 | 49 | 5 | 7.7 |
| 28 | Cyprus | Asia | 45 | 50 | 5 | 6.6 |
| 28 | Luxembourg | Europe | 45 | 54 | 1 | 7.3 |
| 30 | Trinidad and Tobago | Americas | 44 | 51 | 5 | 7.9 |
| 30 | Argentina | Americas | 44 | 50 | 6 | 7.8 |
| 30 | Belize | Americas | 44 | 50 | 6 | 6.8 |
| 33 | Germany | Europe | 43 | 50 | 7 | 7.4 |
| 34 | El Salvador | Americas | 42 | 51 | 7 | 7.7 |
| 35 | Uruguay | Americas | 41 | 54 | 5 | 7.5 |
| 35 | Qatar | Asia | 41 | 58 | 1 | 6.8 |
| 35 | Chile | Americas | 41 | 52 | 7 | 7.3 |
| 38 | Malta | Europe | 40 | 48 | 12 | 6.6 |
| 38 | Guatemala | Americas | 40 | 50 | 10 | 7.7 |
| 40 | Italy | Europe | 39 | 54 | 7 | 7.1 |
| 40 | Czech Republic | Europe | 39 | 51 | 9 | 6.6 |
| 42 | Honduras | Americas | 37 | 49 | 14 | 7.5 |
| 43 | Spain | Europe | 36 | 58 | 6 | 7.0 |
| 44 | Dominican Republic | Americas | 35 | 54 | 11 | 7.3 |
| 44 | France | Europe | 35 | 60 | 6 | 7.0 |
| 46 | Bolivia | Americas | 34 | 59 | 7 | 7.0 |
| 46 | Ecuador | Americas | 34 | 52 | 15 | 7.6 |
| 48 | Bahrain | Asia | 32 | 45 | 23 | 7.0 |
| 48 | Paraguay | Americas | 32 | 59 | 9 | 8.3 |
| 50 | Greece | Europe | 31 | 57 | 11 | 7.0 |
| 50 | Guyana | Americas | 31 | 64 | 5 | 7.0 |
| 52 | Jordan | Asia | 30 | 61 | 8 | 6.7 |
| 52 | Nicaragua | Americas | 30 | 53 | 17 | 7.4 |
| 54 | Kosovo | Europe | 29 | 65 | 6 | 6.2 |
| 54 | Belarus | Europe | 29 | 59 | 12 | 6.5 |
| 56 | Poland | Europe | 28 | 61 | 10 | 7.1 |
| 56 | South Korea | Asia | 28 | 61 | 12 | 6.9 |
| 58 | Pakistan | Asia | 27 | 50 | 23 | 6.2 |
| 58 | Slovenia | Europe | 27 | 57 | 16 | 6.8 |
| 58 | Saudi Arabia | Asia | 27 | 69 | 3 | 6.7 |
| 61 | Croatia | Europe | 26 | 60 | 14 | 6.2 |
| 61 | Montenegro | Europe | 26 | 58 | 16 | 6.2 |
| 63 | Peru | Americas | 25 | 65 | 11 | 7.2 |
| 63 | Moldova | Europe | 25 | 62 | 13 | 6.1 |
| 63 | Lithuania | Europe | 25 | 57 | 18 | 6.2 |
| 63 | Malawi | Africa | 25 | 64 | 10 | 8.0 |
| 67 | Botswana | Africa | 24 | 65 | 11 | 7.3 |
| 67 | Cuba* | Americas | 24 | 66 | 11 | 6.7 |
| 67 | Libya* | Africa | 24 | 68 | 8 | 6.0 |
| 70 | Taiwan | Asia | 22 | 64 | 14 | 7.5 |
| 70 | Kazakhstan | Asia | 22 | 72 | 6 | 7.2 |
| 70 | Portugal | Europe | 22 | 61 | 17 | 7.1 |
| 73 | Ukraine | Europe | 21 | 53 | 26 | 6.6 |
| 73 | Romania | Europe | 21 | 56 | 23 | 6.6 |
| 73 | Slovakia | Europe | 21 | 60 | 19 | 6.5 |
| 73 | South Africa | Africa | 21 | 71 | 8 | 7.3 |
| 73 | Lebanon | Asia | 21 | 64 | 15 | 6.3 |
| 73 | Russia | Europe | 21 | 57 | 22 | 7.0 |
| 79 | Thailand | Asia | 20 | 75 | 5 | 8.0 |
| 79 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | 20 | 59 | 20 | 6.2 |
| 81 | Singapore | Asia | 19 | 75 | 6 | 6.9 |
| 81 | Japan | Asia | 19 | 69 | 12 | 7.4 |
| 81 | Iran | Asia | 19 | 66 | 14 | 6.3 |
| 81 | Hong Kong | Asia | 19 | 65 | 16 | 7.1 |
| 85 | Algeria | Africa | 18 | 77 | 6 | 6.7 |
| 85 | Nigeria | Africa | 18 | 78 | 4 | 7.3 |
| 85 | Somaliland | Africa | 18 | 77 | 5 | 7.1 |
| 85 | Uzbekistan | Asia | 18 | 75 | 6 | 7.8 |
| 85 | Indonesia | Asia | 18 | 72 | 10 | 8.2 |
| 90 | Estonia | Europe | 17 | 62 | 21 | 6.8 |
| 91 | Serbia | Europe | 16 | 63 | 21 | 6.2 |
| 91 | Bangladesh | Asia | 16 | 71 | 13 | 6.9 |
| 91 | Myanmar* | Asia | 16 | 82 | 2 | 7.1 |
| 94 | Philippines | Asia | 15 | 68 | 18 | 7.2 |
| 94 | Malaysia | Asia | 15 | 80 | 5 | 8.1 |
| 96 | Macedonia | Europe | 14 | 54 | 32 | 6.8 |
| 96 | Tunisia | Africa | 14 | 77 | 9 | 6.8 |
| 96 | Zambia | Africa | 14 | 78 | 8 | 7.6 |
| 96 | Yemen | Asia | 14 | 62 | 24 | 6.3 |
| 96 | Vietnam | Asia | 14 | 76 | 10 | 6.9 |
| 96 | Palestinian Territories | Asia | 14 | 70 | 15 | 5.8 |
| 96 | Cameroon | Africa | 14 | 77 | 9 | 7.0 |
| 103 | Turkey | Asia | 13 | 67 | 20 | 6.0 |
| 103 | Kyrgyzstan | Asia | 13 | 81 | 7 | 7.3 |
| 103 | Azerbaijan | Asia | 13 | 70 | 17 | 6.6 |
| 103 | Hungary | Europe | 13 | 53 | 34 | 6.9 |
| 103 | Albania | Europe | 13 | 67 | 19 | 5.6 |
| 108 | Central African Republic | Africa | 12 | 75 | 13 | 6.4 |
| 108 | Ethiopia | Africa | 12 | 67 | 21 | 6.4 |
| 110 | Iraq | Asia | 11 | 71 | 18 | 5.2 |
| 110 | Latvia | Europe | 11 | 64 | 25 | 6.5 |
| 110 | Angola | Africa | 11 | 81 | 8 | 6.8 |
| 110 | Armenia | Asia | 11 | 55 | 33 | 5.9 |
| 110 | Namibia | Africa | 11 | 79 | 10 | 8.1 |
| 115 | Zimbabwe | Africa | 10 | 73 | 17 | 7.3 |
| 115 | Sri Lanka | Asia | 10 | 66 | 24 | 6.9 |
| 115 | Syria | Asia | 10 | 66 | 24 | 6.8 |
| 115 | Afghanistan | Asia | 10 | 69 | 21 | 6.2 |
| 115 | Egypt | Africa | 10 | 71 | 19 | 6.1 |
| 115 | Mozambique | Africa | 10 | 78 | 11 | 7.2 |
| 115 | Georgia | Asia | 10 | 56 | 35 | 6.2 |
| 115 | India | Asia | 10 | 69 | 21 | 6.9 |
| 115 | Morocco | Africa | 10 | 80 | 10 | 7.0 |
| 115 | Mauritania | Africa | 10 | 83 | 7 | 7.2 |
| 125 | China | Asia | 9 | 77 | 14 | 7.6 |
| 125 | Ghana | Africa | 9 | 83 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 125 | Kenya | Africa | 9 | 78 | 13 | 7.5 |
| 128 | Guinea | Africa | 8 | 89 | 3 | 7.1 |
| 128 | Congo (Brazzaville) | Africa | 8 | 73 | 20 | 6.9 |
| 130 | Mongolia | Asia | 7 | 81 | 12 | 7.0 |
| 130 | Laos | Asia | 7 | 89 | 4 | 7.1 |
| 130 | Tajikistan | Asia | 7 | 74 | 19 | 6.5 |
| 130 | Sudan | Africa | 7 | 81 | 12 | 7.4 |
| 130 | Djibouti | Africa | 7 | 86 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 130 | Madagascar | Africa | 7 | 84 | 10 | 7.0 |
| 130 | Nepal | Asia | 7 | 82 | 11 | 7.4 |
| 137 | Bulgaria | Europe | 6 | 58 | 36 | 6.5 |
| 137 | Uganda | Africa | 6 | 71 | 23 | 6.8 |
| 137 | Tanzania | Africa | 6 | 70 | 24 | 7.5 |
| 137 | Senegal | Africa | 6 | 88 | 6 | 7.3 |
| 141 | Liberia | Africa | 5 | 90 | 5 | 6.7 |
| 141 | Chad | Africa | 5 | 88 | 7 | 7.1 |
| 141 | Mali | Africa | 5 | 77 | 18 | 8.0 |
| 144 | Benin | Africa | 4 | 80 | 16 | 6.7 |
| 144 | Haiti | Americas | 4 | 60 | 35 | 6.2 |
| 144 | Ivory Coast | Africa | 4 | 84 | 12 | 7.2 |
| 144 | Congo (Kinshasa) | Africa | 4 | 85 | 11 | 6.4 |
| 148 | Cambodia | Asia | 3 | 75 | 22 | 7.6 |
| 148 | Sierra Leone | Africa | 3 | 74 | 23 | 6.3 |
| 148 | Rwanda | Africa | 3 | 75 | 22 | 7.8 |
| 148 | Burkina Faso | Africa | 3 | 71 | 26 | 6.5 |
| 148 | Niger | Africa | 3 | 86 | 11 | 7.9 |
| 153 | Burundi | Africa | 2 | 58 | 40 | 7.5 |
| 153 | Comoros | Africa | 2 | 75 | 23 | 7.7 |
| 155 | Togo | Africa | 1 | 67 | 31 | 5.0 |
Data: Gallup World Poll.
Slideshow: In Depth: The World’s Happiest Countries
Video: Happy In Bhutan
Click here for the full story, “The World’s Happiest Places.” via Forbes.
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