Nobody's claiming that PCs, mobile "devices" and other electronic gadget sales are recession-proof, either, but you couldn't prove that by Apple's quarterly report yesterday. Its fourth-quarter revenue jumped 27% and profit rose 26% over the same period last year. But Apple executives confess to "poor visibility" about future earnings, being how they read the newspapers like other mortals. Not to worry, though. "We may get buffeted around by the waves a little bit, but we'll be fine," says CEO Steve Jobs. According to Advertising Age , Jobs argues that Apple consumers are …

Believe that subliminal advertising is a bunch of hooey left over from the Mad Ave. conspiracy theorists of your father's generation? Think that tobacco marketers are vile purveyors of death? Well, if you've read this far, I can unequivocally state that you at least like a challenging headline, but I can't go as far as Martin Lindstrom, who is chairman-CEO of Lindstrom Co. He says in a new book that anti-smoking warnings on cigarette packs make you want to smoke. The good news for Lindstrom is that, whatever your position, you'll …

And in all probability, the sun will set this evening as well.

I don't know if it will deliver unto you the same sort of gratification you get from, say, voting for an American icon, er ...idol, but The Wall Street Journal this morning is running a poll about whether Chrysler should merge with General Motors. As of 7:40 a.m. EST, sentiment was running towards nay in one form or another. "Yes" received 68 votes (34.9%); "no, it should merge with another company" got 75 nods (38.5%), and just plain "no, it should remain independent" received 52 affirmations (26.7%). There were 195 votes; for the record, we abstained.

Only France, Greece and Spain have bucked the trend of a widening gap between rich and poor over the past 20 years, according to a report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The greatest inequality in incomes was found in Mexico and Turkey, followed by Portugal and the United States. Denmark and Sweden were the most equal societies in terms of income. "Rich households in America have been leaving both middle and poorer income groups behind," says the OECD. "This has happened in many countries but nowhere has this trend been so stark as in the …

The Post reports that Goldman Sachs honcho Lloyd Blankfein "is behind a deal to help bankroll" a $100 million venture between the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys to start a concessions company that will improve the food experience at the stadiums each team is building and expect to occupy next year. The story, by Paul Tharp and Irene Plagianos, focuses on the business aspects of the deal. It points out, for example, that the arrangement is a blow to Aramark, which has $12 billion in annual revenue and went private last year in a deal …

I did a whole riff on the overuse of "iconic" on Monday only to spot this headline in Adweek this morning: "Iconic Bakery IBC Taps Grey." Ironic they should name the bakery Iconic, I thought. Iconic, it turns out, is an adjective, and IBC stands for Interstate Bakeries Corp., the maker of Wonder Bread, Twinkies, Home Pride, Beefsteak "and the recently launched natural bread line Nature's Pride." While we're on the subject of Wonder, does iconic pass down from generation to generation, like the snootiness of bluebloods? In other words, is Nature's Pride iconic …

MillerCoors CMO Andy England cites weakness in the "malternative" segment. Retailers are being asked to put Sparks where Zima used to be.