"This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursday."
- Arthur Dent, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Hey there,

Welcome back to Thoroughly Thursday, the Taxes R Fun edition. As a kid, there are many elements of adult life that I figured I would enjoy: beer drinking (check), driving (usually), staying up late to watch TV shows (yep), eating out at restaurants that serve ridiculously large pizzas (oh, yeah!). However, I never would have guessed that I would spend a weekend and enjoy doing my taxes. But, I did. After years of having frighteningly complex finances that usually involved many advisors, CPAs, requests for extensions, and priority-mailed envelopes, we have recently simplified our affairs to the point that I was able to do them myself this year. Granted, it was Type II Fun, but I still spent several hours afterward randomly announcing my feat to strangers, until my wife finally pulled me aside and told me to stop. So, there you go: adulting (middle-aged edition).

What I'm Watching: Mucho Matryoshka
Have you heard anything about the Netflix series Russian Doll? You haven't? Okay, good. Stop whatever you are doing and go watch it now. Normally, I would tell you what makes it so good, but really, the less you know, the better. Just know that I stayed up way too late to finish the final episode last night and it was SO WORTH IT. Show creator and star Natasha Lyonne refers to the series as an "existentialist adventure show." I call it one of the best shows I've seen in a long time.

What I'm Reading (article) - Fish + Plants = Future Farming
One of the industries that seem poised to change our cities is vertical farming. The idea of using technology to produce green vegetables within urban environments seems like a necessary step in feeding our growing population while using our resources wisely. Outside magazine's article "Urban Organics Wants to Fix Food" discusses an interesting twist on this idea with a Minnesota company that harvests thousands of pounds of greens each week in an old brewery with the help of giant fish farms. In the field of aquaponics, wastewater from the fish becomes fertilizer for the plants, which then filters and cleans the water, so that it can be returned to the fish tanks in a closed loop. It's kinda genius, though so far, I have yet to see a single fish wearing coveralls and a John Deere cap.

What I'm Doing - It's All In Perspective
Aside from Playdead's Limbo and INSIDE, I don't really play that many games on my phone. However, I recently downloaded Monument Valley, which is a beautiful puzzle app by Ustwo Games. The game has been around for a while, but if you haven't checked it out, you really should. Inspired by minimalist sculpture and Japanese prints, the faceless Princess Ida must traverse geometric environments that feel reminiscent of those M.C. Escher posters we all had in college. There is something beautiful about playing a game that feels like a piece of art.

All the best, and remember, tomorrow is Friday. :)

Scott Moe
scottdavidmoe.com

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