high society

I recently viewed the classic film High Society, and couldn't help but note that at certain points, Grace Kelly's voice sounds exactly like Audrey Hepburn. In fact, my wife who was in a different room and overheard the movie, thought I was watching a Hepburn flick.

Is this merely a coincidence? Does it perhaps indicate that Hollywood bosses were either knowingly, or subconsciously drawn to certain qualities in these screen sirens voices? Could it simply be a common 1950's styled falsetto acting method, which actresses would make use of?

Inquiring minds wish to know more.

On a totally unrelated note, a story in todays NY Times relates of an individual who claims to have collected nearly 2,000 dope bags. One thing that quickly caught my eye was this quote:

"The bags, which are generally made of plastic or wax paper, bear names or images that identify the contraband inside. Those labels — part turf marker, part marketing message — allowed users to differentiate among dealers and evaluate the drug’s purity."

Screw the FDA -- who needs them? Even the drug dealers understand how important the elements of name-brand recognition and a consumers' goodwill are in the free market in respect to the fact that there are no government guarantees to product quality and safety when you are talking about illicit substances.

This is not to say that drugs are a totally unregulated market; only that in one aspect, in which the FDA pretends to provide safety and quality assurances to Joe Consumer when he buys a bag of Dorito's, the illusion of an FDA guaranteed product obviously does not extend to black market products, and yet there is a huge market for these products in which your only guarantee to a decent product is the goodwill and repeat business the dealer hopes to win from the user.

And it's sad to note that I would choose the voluntary honesty of the drug dealer over your everyday agency of statistical murder, joints down.