Spring Break was over a couple weeks ago. Now Easter break looms ahead. Holabird Advocate Publisher, Jerry Hinkle, had to hit the ground running to keep up with the kids in Ethics and Public Policy. The classroom portion of that class is over as of last Saturday, Now Jerry has to do a book review. The book he's reviewing is on the way. He has until the end of April to do it, but that will be here before you know it.

I was in a department store the other day, and I had a very unsettling feeling. Although the store carried thousands of different items in a variety of styles and colors, I had this sense that there was nothing here that I really needed. Not one thing in the store that was going to make enough of a difference in my life to make it worth the purchase. I was turning into a marketer's worst nightmare -- the reluctant consumer. I always read about how advertisers want the younger market. They're not interested in advertising to guys like me. I'm beginning to understand why. We've run out of money, interest and storage space. And we've lost the naive optimism that got us to buy things like hot tubs and expensive sunglasses. We see ourselves as we really are, and it makes us very difficult to manipulate. The only sales tool they have left is sex and the clock is ticking, believe me.