You have to hear it to know it

In Hollywood women that have a lilt to their voices and curves like an hourglass have always been popular. In reality the average guy likes, marries, and has children with a woman that is more realistic and sexy. But there is an aspect of a woman in reality that mirrors those of Hollywood. Their voice.

To actually be more specific, women tend to have a higher pitch to their voice just as they enter and peak with their ovulation. Thus when a woman is most fertile her voice will have its highest pitch. And research seems to indicate that this is also incredibly attractive to men.

Now I realize at this moment that some women, and men, are reading this and saying, I never heard a difference. In fact I’m sure that a few guys will be tested by their better half to see if they really pay attention. But there is a bit of help in this report for them as well. It seems that this is not a constant pitch in a woman’s voice. It’s only in short simple sentences.

“The closer the women get to ovulation, the greater the increase in their pitch," Bryant [psychologist at the University of California involved in the report] said. The recordings revealed that the increase in pitch only occurred when women spoke a meaningful, introductory sentence, such as, "Hi, I'm a student at UCLA", and not when they simply made the sounds of different vowels. According to Bryant, this suggests that the effect may only arise when women were using communicative language.

Two years ago, Haselton published another study into female fertility and the monthly cycle, which suggested that women "dressed to impress" when at their most fertile, favouring skirts over trousers and showing more skin.”

The reason for all this is the same as a woman’s heightened sexuality at this time. It’s an intuitive sign for men to know that she is fertile. Nature is better than makeup, and works better too. The higher pitch is believed to be an effective signal, likely occurring as small talk (and a bit of flirtation) is on-going. So if you are debating which is better, Beethoven or Tchaikovsky, it may not occur.

Still I have to wonder about this. I can think of a few women that hardly have high-pitched voices yet are quite sexy. Marilyn Monroe is one that comes to mind, but she may not be fair as she was Hollywood (back when women were not required to be the equivalent of twigs). But Debra Harry had a sexy voice as well, and she is definitely feminine and sexy. There are others too. Though I’m not sure if they are the exception or not. Then again I’m just thinking of Fran Drescher, can you imagine how high her voice gets?

Oh and here is another clue for the guys out there. It seems that a study in Australia showed that women sway their hips more at this same time too. So if you are in a committed relationship, and a man in the true sense of the word, you now know when to plan for Jr. If you aren't please remember that condoms will not only prevent an unwanted situation, but they prevent HIV and AIDS as well as othe STD's.

The Joker - an example of speculating and not collecting

Do you recall back in the day when you would play with a 3 inch Yoda doll that was part of your Star Wars collection? I’m talking about the toys based on the original movie, before they paid attention to which chapter they represented. They were fun and cool and everyone wanted a Darth Vader or Boba Fett (which came out before the second movie as I recall).

Perhaps you were more interested in the G.I. Joe dolls. Each stood about 6” tall and some had special abilities like ‘karate action’ or an ‘eagle eye’ or simply a 'fuzzy' beard. Again this is before the cartoon series that spawned a new version of toys, a mere 3” tall.

If you do recall these toys, or others like them, with joy in your heart don’t search on eBay. The prices these then-modestly priced items go for now will astound most. But some want to search around for the latest in the Batman: Dark Knight series of toys, or the X-Men, Hulk, Spiderman and so on. They should choose carefully.

There are hordes of would be collectors buying up the various items each movie spawns, hoping that one of their purchases will one day broker their dream vacation. A great example of this is the current craze for all goods that are the Joker, bearing a likeness to Heath Ledger. Honestly I think such pursuits are a waste.

Collecting generally happens either because of a rarity of an item, it’s representation of a significant event in time, age, or it’s value as an item of fond memories – even if those memories are second or third hand. That’s why you can sell a good condition Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham first edition book for several thousand dollars. Or why certain stamps are priceless. The same can be said of the above mentioned Star Wars, G.I. Joe, and various coin collections. There is a value that can stand the test of time.

But today there is a rush based on minor activities and passing curiosity. Not unlike the comic book craze in the late 1980’s that caused comic book prices to rise dramatically, and then all but the older, rarer books to have that value nearly evaporate within a year or 2.

Heath Ledger is dead. It is a shame. But he did not die, say like Bruce Lee – at the top of his career, rising in legend and acclaim, in the middle of filming what might have been a classic film. Mr. Ledger died of a drug overdose that he gave himself. No mystery or glamour to it. His death was no Marilyn Monroe event. He was no mega-star. Thus there is no significant event that can survive time.

Thus anyone hoarding the Joker toys is making a massive bet that Ledger will be remembered in an historic manner in 5 years, thus giving a value to their collected items. I’m sure they are also hoping that the millions of other items produced before his death, and more than a few after, will all wind up in the trash as little Jonnie or Jane grow up. But considering many of the Joker items, and Batman as well, were snapped up by hopeful collectors (or speculators might be better to describe them) the chances are slim for rarity. Thus the hope of selling an item in the future to die-hard Heath Ledger fans diminishes.

Since the Joker items have just come out along with the movie, age is something that won’t happen for another decade or more. And considering the trend of Hollywood to ‘revision’ older successful films, it’s highly likely that by the time any item today becomes a fond memory of a middle- or later aged adult, there will be at least one more version of Batman corralling bad guys on either a small or big screen.

So overall the chances of a Heath Ledger Joker item becoming a collectible of worth are unlikely. Now I don’t say this to diminish the memory of Heath Ledger, but this is the most recent and dramatic point that can be made right now.

Collecting is not speculation. It should not be done with the hope of a reward in the future. That kind of wait-and-sell is best suited for the stock market, and your odds are far better there. Collecting should be done for the sheer joy of it.

I recently sold a few of my Magic The Gathering cards. I owned them from my time in California (in the early 1990’s) when I started to play the game and collect the cards after I had broken my leg in a motorcycle accident. I had no idea what the value was then, and even less now. But when I sold them – clearing away some things as I moved into a new house – I found out that just 3 of my cards alone were worth $200. That was more than I had spent on the whole collection. And I honestly had a hard time selling them.

I think that is the real value of a collection. The emotion it provides the buyer, and holds for the seller. If you start a collection for any other reason than that, you’re probably wasting your money and time.