Spiderman 3 is very Black..watch the trailer
Archive for October, 2006 Page 3 of 4
Finally Google has agreed to acquire YouTube for $1.65 Bln. Google announced today that it has agreed to acquire YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community.
The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment communities with Google’s expertise in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach a vast new audience.
“The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. “Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers.”
“Our community has played a vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. “I’m confident that with this partnership we’ll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide.”
When the acquisition is complete, YouTube will retain its distinct brand identity, strengthening and complementing Google’s own fast-growing video business. YouTube will continue to be based in San Bruno, CA, and all YouTube employees will remain with the company. With Google’s technology, advertiser relationships and global reach, YouTube will continue to build on its success as one of the world’s most popular services for video entertainment.
The number of Google shares to be issued in the transaction will be determined based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days prior to the completion of the acquisition. Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.[source Google]
Well finally I managed to sneak to the cargo terminal from office again before 1 PM today to collect my DVDs. I went straight to the senior official who had earlier called me. Showed him my import duty clearances and other documents. The officer took out the Amazon Box from his cupboard and handed me the documents. I was then escorted to the Kuwait Customs cell for ‘taftish’ or ‘checking’ of some sorts. Well I thought they would actually play the DVD to check its contents. But in that office someone came in checked my papers, signed it and handed me the DVDs finally.
So the experience has been a good one so far except for the KD 4.500/- I had to pay additional to the cost of DVDs.
BTW when I took out the DVDs they were totally sealed, so I wonder what they did with them in the first place confiscating it.
Anyhow I am now off to home to watch the movie ‘Message’.
Moral of the story:
I was shown many packages containing DVDs etc. from Amazon which are still uncollected. So guys go ahead and get them cleared. Just be there by 10am and you would be off to home with your DVDs by noon. P.S. don’t forget to take cash and some change too.
Sir Edmund Hillary once famously quoted on expedition to the Mt Everest: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves”. Half a century later these words have begun to resonate in our heart, mind and soul as the World seemingly faces another peak, “Peak Oil”.
Continue reading ‘Conquest of ‘Peak Oil’’
Last month I had ordered certain movies from Amazon and two of them were confisicated at the customs. Read here ‘Damn ! Customs has blocked my Amazon Order‘
Today out of the blue I receive a call from someone at the customs department, asking me to come over at cargo section near the Airport, regarding my order. I rushed down to the customs at cargo section. I was fairly surprised that the gentleman who called me, is one of the senior officials [presumably director] at the customs. Very courteous person, he asks me for the original airway bill for the package, which I didn’t have. So he rips off the airway bill sticker off the amazon box, and then he asked for my civil id. Then he asks me to take a seat and summons one of the guys working there to get a copy of the bill and my civil id. Five minutes later he checks more documents and then asks the same guy to take me over to another department head for clearance ! After that clearance I came back to this senior officials office, and then he guided me to downstairs to pay for import duties on my package. The import duties turn out to be KD 0.500/- only. After taking my import duty papers, the guy who made my import duties paper guides me to the Commercial Bank and tells me to pay for it. The commercial bank then took KD 2/- over KD 0.500/- as bank commission [what a rip off]. After paying for my duties, the import duty officer asks me to bring a stamp of KD 1.000/- from the machine. Total so far KD 3.500/- . After the import duty papers are finished the import duty officer guided me to Global Clearing House where I had to pay another KD 1.000/- With all this in hand the senior officer who called me met me downstairs, and said the office timings are over [it was 1 PM], and I should come back tomorrow to collect the package.
So I will be heading that way tomorrow to collect my DVDs’
Moral of the story:
- I was fairly and pleasantly surprised by the courteousness of the all the government officers at the cargo customs
- Their attitude towards guiding and helping is exemplary right from top level officials to other office workers
- Commercial bank needs to amend commission policies [KD 2 for KD 0.500]
- I had to pay KD 4.500 /- for releasing my DVDs which cost KD 12.000/-
- What I failed to understand is the movie ‘Message’ was shown many times on MBC in Arabic over in Ramadan, so why is it black-listed
Latest Comments