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Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 10:08 PM EST — AAPL: 199.92 (-0.59, -0.29%) | NASDAQ: 2146.04 (-10.78, -0.5%)

The kooks come out of the woodwork for Apple’s annual shareholders meeting

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 08:55 AM EST

"Shareholder meetings at Apple are a lot like city council meetings in, say, Berkeley, Calif. Forget about dollars and cents; meetings like this are a prime opportunity for earnest activists, angry cranks, mutants and the overly concerned to bask in some attention. For public companies, the game is simple: Let them talk, smile politely and don't let the freaks shake anything loose," Brian Caulfield reports for Forbes.

"Mission accomplished, mostly. Activist investors used the meeting as a forum to advocate proposals to allow shareholders to vote on executive compensation; increase the 'transparency' of Apple's environmental practices; adopt 'principles for health care reform,' pushed by the AFL-CIO; and, from the Teamsters of all people, provide more details on Apple's political contributions. The result: After a preliminary tally, all four proposals were voted down, and Apple's board of directors were re-elected," Caulfield reports.

"Shareholder Shelton Ehrlich [at one point] declared, 'These people are all socialists. They are all trying to make us slaves to the government,'" Caulfield reports. "Other shareholders stood up to poke Apple's management team about diversity, protest Apple's departure from the annual Macworld conference and more. An activist from the Parents Research Council, after noting that she drove two and a half hours to attend the meeting, gave those attending a detailed description of a raunchy scene from the sitcom Two and a Half Men, which is on the air, in part, thanks to commercials from Apple."

"Cook promised to look into it. 'If it's not on ESPN, I probably won't see it personally,' he added," Caulfield reports. "Cook thanked shareholders for the comments and stuck to the facts. Apple sold 9.8 million Macs last year and 13.7 million iPhones. The company's net income of $4.8 billion in 2008 was 18 times what it was four years earlier. Translation: Your concerns are welcome, but we're doing pretty good here, guys."

There's more, mainly handwringing over Jobs absence (which we attribute, drum roll please... to his current leave of absence - shocking, we know), in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Once again, our proposal for 23.71% of building exteriors on the Apple campus to be painted "Blue Dalmatian" with the remainder to be airbrushed "Flower Power" failed miserably.

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Feb 26, 09 - 09:00 am Comment from: Fuppin' Fupper

Yes, we wouldn't want anyone to "Think Different" now would we? Nor to celebrate the "crazy ones."

Feb 26, 09 - 09:08 am Comment from: silverhawk

"noting that she drove two and a half hours to attend the meeting"
At least she wasn't complaining about Apple's carbon footprint.

Feb 26, 09 - 09:10 am Comment from: bliip

Wouldn't it have been easier for her to just change the channel?

Feb 26, 09 - 09:22 am Comment from: TowerTone

I personally think that they don't have enough white, middle-aged male Texans on the board....

Feb 26, 09 - 09:36 am Comment from: Macaday

Not surprising that Steve wants to avoid this ridiculous waste of time.

Especially as he'd attract even more nutters wanting their moment in the sunlight...

Feb 26, 09 - 09:37 am Comment from: Ottawa Mark

That's actually the funniest take from MDN in a while; kinda like Stephen Colbert celebrating the market dropping to 1997 levels by checking the markets with a dialup modem on an old iMac (he did point out that only "celebrites" had iMacs before their launch in 1998, but he was using the lime green one that came out in 1999 )

Feb 26, 09 - 09:37 am Comment from: HMCIV

"...meetings like this are a prime opportunity for earnest activists, angry cranks, mutants and the overly concerned to bask in some attention"

So that's why Steve-O took sick leave. Maybe the shareholder meeting is part of a succession proving ground. Up next: Explaining to pundits why iPhone won't get a physical keyboard like the Kindle.

Feb 26, 09 - 09:40 am Comment from: ron

"Let them eat cake".

Feb 26, 09 - 10:45 am Comment from: Lucky Dog, Silicon Valley

I always enjoy the Apple shareholders meeting! Even the odd questions add to the fabric of APPLE. Tim Cook did a very good job overseeing the meeting.

It did seem strange that a company with 28+ billion in cash cut back to coffee only this year.....

Feb 26, 09 - 11:03 am Comment from: Jim - TIV

I agree with TT, more middle aged white men from Texas are needed on the board. And their adult children....

Feb 26, 09 - 11:13 am Comment from: jfj

Apple could have easily avoided the "kooks" by not going public. However, Apple cannot abrogate its corporate responsibility to address shareholders' concerns because it finds certain questions embarrassing or difficult to answer.

Apple should be prepared to provide a sound and reasonable response to any question. Any time Apple dismisses a shareholder's concerns as irrelevant Apple shows that it is unable or unprepared to defend or justify its behaviors or decisions.

Seriously, if a "kook" is more credible than Apple it raises the perception that Apple is disorganized and disoriented. One man's "kook" is another man's "genius". Apple should recognize this. This was the message Apple promoted for itself.

Feb 26, 09 - 11:30 am Comment from: Kate

With the exception of the Parents Research Council busybody, these are the types of folks that now run our country (US). A meeting of the Berkley City council is an apt description.
O Happy Day!!

Feb 26, 09 - 11:48 am Comment from: TowerTone

Thanks, Jim!
Now, if someone would just second that nomination, I'd be set for life....

Waddup, Al?
(just practicing)

Feb 26, 09 - 12:07 pm Comment from: Always Right

Why wasn't Bill Clinton in that video?

Feb 26, 09 - 01:40 pm Comment from: Passerby

"Apple should be prepared to provide a sound and reasonable response to any question."

I object only to the word "any." There are some question which do not have sound and reasonable responses other than "thank you, sir," or possibly "security!"

Feb 26, 09 - 02:52 pm Comment from: jfj

Passerby:

Your objection is noted. Overruled!

Feb 26, 09 - 02:58 pm Comment from: Kook Detector

Number One Kook: AL GORE

Certified lunatic, scam artist, liar, politician, cheat, scoundrel, leftist, hypocrite, etc.

He can't possibly bring any value to Apple's board.

Feb 26, 09 - 04:06 pm Comment from: Hairy Japanese Bastard

@Kook Detector -

I guess it takes one to know one...

Feb 26, 09 - 04:24 pm Comment from: Road Warrior

Hmmm I wonder what the Microsoft stockholders meetings are like then?

Feb 26, 09 - 07:09 pm Comment from: Cubert

TowerTone,
I second that emotion.

Just practice saying, "Yes, Mr. Jobs. You are absolutely right, Mr. Jobs. Thank you, sir. I will try harder."

You'll be OK.

Feb 26, 09 - 08:36 pm Comment from: TowerTone

Thanks, Q!
And don't worry. I have had plenty of practice speaking like that.
I was married for 20 years...

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Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 10:08 PM EST — AAPL: 199.92 (-0.59, -0.29%) | NASDAQ: 2146.04 (-10.78, -0.5%)

The kooks come out of the woodwork for Apple’s annual shareholders meeting

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Current Headlines

Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 10:08 PM EST — AAPL: 199.92 (-0.59, -0.29%) | NASDAQ: 2146.04 (-10.78, -0.5%)

The kooks come out of the woodwork for Apple’s annual shareholders meeting

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