According to the article, Israeli computer engineers have developed a “beautification engine” that uses an algorithm to digitally alter photographs of an individual’s face to be more attractive. Based on extensive research conducted at Tel Aviv University, the beautification engine can modify an image of a person’s face according to widely-held beauty principles (including symmetry of features, smoothness of skin, vividness of hair/eye color, among others) while still maintaining a striking, unmistakable resemblance to the original image.

The article includes several photos of celebrities who went under the digital knife, including Woody Allen, Michael Cera, and Brigitte Bardot, all of whom are shown with distinct alterations. James Franco, however, showed no visible alterations, leaving the Times to declare him “pretty perfect.”

But the “beautification engine” leaves me with a few concerns. First of all, it has not yet been engineered to modify images of people from “nonwhite racial and ethnic groups,” so it wouldn’t be conclusive to say that the algorithm developed truly measures what is beautiful. Furthermore, not everyone agrees that the modified images are more beautiful than the originals.

For one thing, Michael Cera (seen above in his original photo, left, and final modification, far right) looks slightly bloated and older, and his gaze is dimmer. One could argue that his charm derrives not from the way he looks, but his whole demeanor. And what does the existence of a “beautification engine” say about our values? If all it can do is present us with an image of what we could look like, then why make a fuss about it?

I could care less what a “beautification engine” would have to say about me.  Not that I derrive my self-worth from others, but it’s not like I’m interested in dating a computer anytime soon. The verdict on James Franco is, however, spot-on. Hotness.

Obviously, they are doing it for a reason.

Got a younger dude? Friends making fun of you for robbing the cradle?

Ignore them and keep that boy around! Here are 5 great reasons why:

1. More energy.

Okay, so this isn’t true for all younger guys, but they generally DO have more energy and enthusiasm than their more aged counterparts. That means they’ll usually be happy to try new things, they’ll expend a lot of energy doing things to impress you, and they won’t necessarily be as quick to complain as older guys will.

2. Youthful exuberance and enthusiasm.

Remember: to a younger guy, you are “the older woman.” Even if they deny it, the relationship will always be a little bit like The Graduate to them. They’ll be happy to have you, and they’ll brag to all their buddies that they’re dating you. Instead of being just another girlfriend, you’ll be a point of pride.

3. You can take the lead.

Sometimes, it’s true that the older you are, the more experienced you are. You can take that in whatever context you want, but it’s true for a variety of things. If you’re a college graduate and your guy is still in his senior year, you can give him great grad-school or job-searching advice. Basically, the lead is there for you to take in the relationship.

4. They’ll be loyal.

This is also an arguable point, but especially if you’re a lot older than the guy (say, five years or more), you can bet he’s not dating you just for kicks. Odds are, there’s something about you (yes, the essence of you—not your looks, and not your cash or job security) that he likes, and that’s important for building loyalty in a long-lasting relationship.

5. They die later.

Is this morbid? Because it’s true. If you’re dating a younger guy and you feel like there’s a possibility the two of you might stay together for a long, long time, you won’t necessarily have to worry about being a widow at the age of 50 because your dude was 20 years older than you. Women live longer than men. Date a younger guy. ‘Nuff said.

I mean, in America, the stereotypical retiree will move down to Florida to spend their time lounging by the pool in a gated community or playing a few holes on the golf course. Lame. In Japan, adult films for senior citizens, aka “elderly porn” is growing into quite the profitable franchise, according to porn producing giant Ruby Productions.

While America’s economy is declining, many entertainment venues (including golf courses) are taking a hit. In Japan, at least one retiree is cashing in on the entertainment biz. Shigeo Tokuda, 73, is the Ron Jeremy of elderly porn.

CNN correspondent Kyung Lah describes Tokuda as “the star of his movies in every way, romancing his co-stars, no matter their age, no matter their needs.” And apparently, his films are no-holds-barred, much like anything Jenna Jameson has appeared in.

This human interest story might come as a shock to American citizens, but as a nation, Japan is home to the world’s highest percentage of people over 65. Who says the greater populace can’t have a little fun? Tokuda isn’t some pervy old man, either. He’s been married for forty-four years, and his wife supports his new career path. Lah reports that he’s a polite and humble man, and though it’s not easy to watch Tokuda’s raunchy scenes, “it’s a little like watching your grandfather in a situation you never dared to dream.” Aww, that’s sweet. Or creepy.

In any case, Tokuda can be considered a retirement legend. I’m sure there’s plenty of guys half- or one-third his age who would love to achieve such celebrity status. And if he can chase his dreams at 73, I can’t wait for my own retirement.

Of course, Peter Pans can be fun because they usually act like kids. They like to go out and play and shun anything to do with responsibility and growing up. They can make you feel young too. But isn’t there a point where we’re supposed to grow up? Can’t growing up be fun?

I for one enjoy growing up. And there was nothing more annoying than my ex who was constantly depressed about getting older. When it came to anything involving responsibility, he cringed and said, “why couldn’t I have just stayed in high school forever? Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

Um, no.

I wouldn’t go back to re-live high school if you paid me in cupcakes. I found myself having to coach the ex along in his everyday life, as if he were a child. And I was his mother. And this is exactly what he wanted. He felt comforted having someone direct him and keep him on track.

I tried to convince him of all the awesome-ness of growing up. The things you can do as an adult that you can’t do as a child: go out without asking permission, make and spend your own money however you want, sex, driving, the list goes on and on. But he wasn’t affected. He just wanted to play and refused to be held accountable for his actions.

In order to live with a Peter Pan, you need to be a Wendy. And Wendy I am not. While we all know what happened at the end of the Peter Pan movie, I don’t think most of us have the patience to put up with the immaturity in the meantime. If your boyfriend thinks he’s Peter Pan, I’d fly away for now and just hope that Tinker Bell comes along soon.

My cut off is somewhere around 5 years. Any older than that and I think my partner and I would be in different life stages (unless of course Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt are looking. I’ll do anything for them).

Apparently, Hayden Panettiere doesn’t share my opinion of an appropriate age gap, because it’s recently been reported and she and 30-year-old Milo Ventimiglia (who?) are an official item.

These two Heroes co-stars (honestly, the only reason I even know their names is because I watched an episode of the show once) have a 12 year age difference between them, and while some people might not think that’s a big deal, I can’t help but think that just 18 and 30 is pretty much the biggest gap you can have.

18 means college, smoking legally if you feel like it, waiting three more years to drink, and finally moving out of your parents’ house. 30 means mortgages, thinking about a family, and maybe writing up the first draft of your will. Could these two people be any more at odds?

No one in Hollywood seems to care, but I’ll admit that hearing about a 30-year-old dating an 18-year-old (celebrity or not) gives me the momentary creeps. It’s easy to see what a barely legal girl sees in an older guy (or think she sees), but what makes a guy decide to forgo everyone in his age group for a chick who basically just learned to drive?

Is anyone else weirded out by this, or am I just tragically un-hip?

As if it’s not hard enough to act nonchalant when a big beefy bouncer is inspecting your fakey out front of a bar, *cue bored yawn and a glance at your watch* (hopefully he doesn’t notice that the hologram’s actually the word VOID in comic sans), but how many times have you been ignored by a sales clerk, (Pretty Woman reminiscent) because you look too young to afford anything. Or even worse, on how many accounts have you been followed around a store because the workers suspect that, since you undoubtedly can’t afford anything, you’ll probably just steal it.

What about being taken seriously at a job interview? Even with your nicest black pumps and pencil lined skirt, some employers just seem to breeze through the process as though you’re undeniably a complete waste of their time. Sure, we’re always hearing about the infamous -isms: racism, sexism, classism, feminism (girl powa!) but rarely do we address ageism, a growing epidemic that affects you, me, and college girls everywhere.

Last week, high school student Jesse Lange (think a sixteen-year-old mix between Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, underage perfection to be exact) decided to do something about it. Appearing on Bill O’Reilly’s (aka I-have-a-stick-up-my-butt-mcgee’s) The O’Reilly Factor, Lange addressed the widespread criticism of Boulder High School’s sex education program after it had received much condemnation (O’Reilly’s included) for a ‘risque’ assembly that was held before the student body. The assembly was composed of four speakers who, according to O’Reilly, promoted drug use and declared condoms ‘unnecessary’.

Riiiiight. In other words, O’Dummy lazily skimmed the transcripts of the assembly and drew false assumptions from a couple remarks made, which becomes ever-so-obvious when Lange opens his mouth.

O’Reilly argues with the kid like he’d rather be getting a root canal. He casts him off as though having an opposing side in a debate is almost as useless as his Rogaine (which darn it, just doesn’t seem to be working!) This is until he gets schooled when Lange proves O’Reilly’s poorly-researched claims as one-hundo percent erroneous. This is the part where you can practically see O’Reilly pee his pants a little.

He begins shooting off about nothing relevant in an obvious desperate determination to tune out Lange’s intelligent, well-versed rebuttal. The best part is that Lange stays entirely composed as this greasy old fart proceeds to call him a pinhead, (I kid you not.) The whole debacle becomes ever more entertaining on account of the little boy on O’Reilly’s side who has nothing substantial to say besides, “My football coach says I’m right!”

Jesse Lange is just what this country needs to see right now, a young intelligent and assertive person who isn’t even old enough to vote yet. All we hear about is ‘kids today’ with their drugs and their probation, bad grades and incessant partying. If all this is so, then tell me why Lange, two years shy of legal, can turn this bald undeservedly-famous man to mush in a matter of seconds, right on your very own television screen. All I know is I sure as hell never had a boy that cute in my driver’s ed classes. (Seriously, watch the clip!)

Whether it was the mimosa I’d sip on Monday morning before class, blind-eyed to my roommate’s disapproving glares, or spiking my Coke with a little nip of rum in the dining commons at lunch to my friends’ bemusement, I’d just smile real big and cluck, “It’s five o’clock somewhere guys! Loosen up!”

Alright so maybe my tendencies slightly resemble that of Sully, the homeless alcoholic on the corner block who’s always singing Ace of Base off-key — But hey! Cheers to being young and reckless! At least he ‘saw the sign’…for happy hour.

Either way, such tendencies made it no surprise at all that I found myself in a bar (Thank you trusty fake ID!) this past Friday getting some drinks with a friend. After a hard week of internship pandemonium, a stiff drink in the city was just the cure.

The clock had just struck 6 PM and I was feeling a little tipsy when this cute guy sat down next to me at the bar. We got to talking (or maybe it was slurring) and I felt like I really hit it off with “Ben.” It wasn’t until we’d exchanged numbers and began to chat throughout the week that I found out Benny Boy was 29 years old.

I threw around the number in my head… twenty-nine…hmmm. So one less than the thirty pack of Bud Light I crushed during that frat party luau last October? I did the math. Eleven years older than me. I sighed and did what any sane eighteen-year old would do… I told him I was twenty.

Alright, I know, starting off in a lie is not always so smart…but come on. To a twenty-nine year old, eighteen is practically infantile. He probably wouldn’t know whether to buy me a drink or a pacifier! The point is, he said he still wants to see me again and that my age didn’t bother him…which led me to question (Besides the obvious, why can’t this dude get a girl his own age?), is older better?

Many girls would roar a resounding yes, older is better. He’s apparently more experienced, more mature, he knows what he wants. Even better…what you want and how to give it to you.

Really, this is an age old question that all women tend to agree and disagree on based on their own personal experiences, is older really better?

NBC’s new show aims to answer just that. Age of Love premieres Monday, June 18th. The show puts one (lucky) guy, tennis pro Mark Philippoussis in the middle of a group of 20-something bombshells and 40-something knockouts, to figure out, does age really make a difference?

As an avid Bachelor fan I can’t help but make some connections…my girlfriends and I never got over the fact that Andy didn’t give Amber a rose because she was 23. So we might’ve spat and screamed at the TV a little too loudly — the campus police were phoned, but I shouldn’t admit that.

So while Mark struggles with the painfully difficult task of wining and dining, hot tubs and romance all in the name of polygamy, I’ll just sit here and hope my fake doesn’t let me down on my date with Ben. Twenty, so that means I’m gonna’ be a junior…right?