If you haven't noticed, things haven't been going so hot for Goldman Sachs of late. In just this week alone, the bank reported that fourth quarter earnings fell 52 percent to $2.4 billion, the ire of many a client was provoked when they were informed that only those outside the US could participate in the Facebook investment and the New York Times exposed the highly-guarded secret that partners at the firm make a lot of money. Today, however, brought some incredibly positive news for the Masters of the Universe, which will no doubt be cheered by management, rank and file employees, shareholders, Wall Street analysts and even the mainstream media.

1 SAS
2 Boston Consulting Group
3 Wegmans Food Markets
4 Google
5 NetApp
6 Zappos.com
7 Camden Property Trust
8 Nugget Market
9 Recreational Equipment (REI)
10 DreamWorks Animation SKG
23 Goldman Sachs
48 Build-A-Bear Workshop
87 Men's Wearhouse

What you're looking at here is a Fortune's annual ranking of the so-called 'Best Companies To Work For.' That Goldman is the only big bank to make the cut shouldn't come as much of a shock (though the lack of JPMorgan where employees get the perk to end all perks-- staring at Jamie Dimon's visage-- is odd), nor should the fact that a company with in-house climbing walls (REI) topped GS. What you should be focusing on is several of the names Goldman allegedly beat out and maybe one in particular.

Build-a-Bear.

Goldman Sachs is a better place to work than the Build-a-Bear workshop? Sorry, but CHALLENGE. Not saying anyone paid anyone off--GS is far too smart for that amateur hour stuff-- just saying things should be questioned and that Hank Paulson's had the sort of time on his hands that could be put toward getting a gig inside the workshop overseeing a bunch of aspiring partner-elves tasked with fucking up the product line.

100 Best Companies To Work For 2011 [Fortune]