The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow: An Instant Message with Excitable Music is a play written by Rolin Jones that features an agoraphobic, obsessive-compulsive (perhaps also mildly autistic) girl genius who decides to seek out her birth mother in China by creating a robot to go on the journey for her. She's also a secret subcontractor for the Department of Defense and relies on the help of a horny Mormon (who's on a conversion mission in China) and a malcontent Russian professor of artificial intelligence, and tries to deal with her adoptive parents along the way. It's funny, compelling, well-acted and, dare I say, touching without being too mushy. It's been extended until June 3 at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, so if you're in Chicago you should definitely check it out.

Your mom codes in assembly? Awesome! So what do you get her for Mother's Day? Check out these ideas over at the geek boutique Fractalspin, such as an Estrogen Necklace, Circuit Board Luggage Tags, and a Diskette Purse.

So you're one of the lucky few with a geek as a girlfriend, but your genius has failed you in regards to possible V-Day gifts. Why not get her a pair of Caffeine Earrings and matching necklace, a Diskette Handbag, or a Diode Necklace? More gift ideas are here.

Innovation and Growth in a Flat World: get an inside look at how web 2.0, open source, mash-ups, and global collaboration challenge conventional business models and learn how innovation thrives in a world that demands ever more agility, openness and collaboration. Featuring panellists Thomas L. Friedman, author of the run-away bestselling business book, The World is Flat, Tim O'Reilly, Brian Behlendorf, co-founder of Apache.org , CollabNet and respected open source guru, Devin Wenig, Chief Operating Officer, Reuters Group P.L.C.

Everyone's favorite stimulant can now worn as a necklace or earrings, in sterling silver.

The geek-chic High Voltage Laptop Bag with a caution-tape strap at Fractalspin is a cleverly ironic way to carry around your portable, low-voltage electron-pushing devices. And you'd get the added adventure of being able to walk around in public wrapped in bright orange caution tape.

I wrote about my experience using one of the Sequoia electronic voting machines here in Chicago on my blog.

Photographer Phillip Toledano created a portrait series featuring seven models illuminated by the screen of the video games they played. He doesn't mention the game titles or platforms used, but it's for the better, as these hilarious adrenaline-filled portraits are a fascinating glimpse into the agressive extremes of the models' personalities.

While wandering through the internet wilderness I came across a site in a blogroll whose name caught my fancy: Gamegirladvance.com. Being as I have a soft spot for Game Boys (uhm-in both senses of the term? *cough*), I clicked the link to disover a fascinating blog about video game culture, specifically how it relates to the women who love it and the pop-culture that influences and surrounds it.