Who is Mr. Sparkle?
Mr. Sparkle was the
subject of one episode of The Simpsons (In Marge We
Trust, season 8, episode 22). While Homer and the kids were at
the Springfield dump, they found a box of Japanese dishwashing
detergent with a picture that looked a lot like Homer. So they
contacted the company that made the detergent, and several weeks
later they received a videotape of a Mr. Sparkle commercial.
However, like many aspects of Japanese pop culture, the commercial
did not make any sense to a western audience. To see the video
for yourself, visit youtube.com and search for
"Mr. Sparkle". |
At the end of the video, we learn that Mr. Sparkle is a
joint venture between Matsumura Fishworks and Tamaribuchi Heavy
Manfacturing Concern. The two logos, a fish and a lightbulb, merge
to form the Mr. Sparkle logo.
Matsumura Fishworks and
Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern |
|
The "Mr. Sparkle"
joint venture |
Announcer: |
Mr. Sparkle. A joint venture of Matsumura Fishworks and
Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern. |
Lisa: |
Hey! It was all a coincidence. |
Bart: |
Yep. There's your answer,
fishbulb. | |
But what does this have to do with geocaching?
Many Triangle area geocachers have noticed the name "Mr.Sparkle"
in the logs of local geocaches. These log entries appeared
suddenly, and then ceased just as suddenly, and some wondered why.
Legend has it that Mr.Sparkle was attacked by a Swamp
Thang while trying to score a FTF at Holy
Wastewater II. But no one knows for sure.
A more plausible story is that Mr.Sparkle was trying to escape
the incessant attention of the paparazzi and his fans. He has gone
underground, using a new pseudonym. He speaks in riddles. He
encrypts all of his personal communications (using ROT13, of
course). And he has assumed a completely new look: far from cool,
somewhat nerdy, and unlikely to attract undue attention.
But this story is only believed by conspiracy theorists.
Either way, Mr.Sparkle, or whatever he is calling himself these
days, has a lot easier time trading signature swag items without
the lawyers from FOX and The Simpsons hounding him. Keep
your eyes open, and I bet you'll see Mr.Sparkle on the trail.
"I accept the challenge of
Mr. Sparkle." |
What a brave corporate logo! To accept the Mr. Sparkle
challenge, you must first find the other three caches in the
"Mr.Sparkle" series. They are all strategically located where
Mr.Sparkle might be seen: Japanese businesses, places of
cleanliness, and in areas of awesome power.
To find this cache, take the clues from the three caches
below and add them together to form the final coordinates.
FINAL CACHE COORDINATES:
N 35° 46.xxx W 078°
50.yyy
Where xxx = N + E + D + 989
and yyy = A + P + U + 409
In both cases, add the numbers and then only use the last three
digits of the answer. For example, 123 + 456 + 789 = 1368, so throw
away the "1" and just use "368".
Good luck!
NOTES: (1) The cache is located on community-owned property
for public use. (2) Published coordinates offer one possibility for
parking. (3) Please secure the container exactly as you found
it.