I've read that we're exposed to between 254 and umpteen thousand commercial messages every day. Last week, in foreign climes, I'd thought I'd try an experiment - is it feasible to go 7 days without encountering an ad or a promotion? No tv or radio, no newspapers or magazines, no wifi or email... mission impossible? Surprisingly not. Trapped within a rather pleasant resort, pinned down by that big yellow thing I'd almost forgotten about (the sun... and not the tabloid version), I soon realised that all I had to do was resist the schoolboy temptation to stare whenever one of those little planes buzzed over dragging a banner through the blue yonder (in any event, printed in words unintelligible to me), or avert my eyes each time I sauntered past one of my less strong-willed fellow holidaymakers, lying like a hollow-cheeked smoker in the ominous shadow of a Daily Telegraph or similar, unable to resist their fix. Who cares who won the Test? Swine flu - what's that? Recession... yawn. And it almost worked... 5 days in and (provided one didn't count the brochures for hot stone massages and analysing one's golf swing) my brain was becoming remarkably accustomed to... well, nothing really. It was great. I was just beginning to think I'd last out the week... when, searching for a small round dimpled white ball in a clump of tastily laden fig trees, finally emerging defeated but replete with figs onto the last tee... and there it was: The €1million Hole-in-One Challenge! Unmissable, Impactful, Irresistible! Attractive girl waiting to take your money, video camera at the ready just in case you fluked it. Naturally I didn't make it, but it was with a wry smile that I returned the clubs... trust good old SP to break through firewall and come up with something a bit different to boot.