This Mystery Cache is not at the posted coordinates. Take the quiz below to find the true coordinates.
This song by R.E.M. is apropos for these times: "It's The End Of The World As We Know It, (and I Feel Fine" no fever, no dry cough, no hallucinations, & still have senses of smell and taste)
The puzzle is in the often cryptic lyrics by Michael Stipe. Take this quiz on your interpretation of the lyrics, and discover where the cache is hidden.
You gotta listen to this song, and others, by R.E.M to get a better understanding of the lyrics. I was going to add links to music videos here but geocaching.com does not permit adding links to public sites because of the possibility of downloading a (digital) virus. You can stay Safer At Home by looking hearing these up on your favorite music streaming service.
Choose the answer that best fits the line.
“That's great, it starts with an earthquake” is about:
(34) Revelations 6:12-17
(35) Movie “San Andreas” starring Dwayne"The Rock"Johnson
(36) An interview with Dr. Lucy Jones
“Birds and snakes, and aeroplanes” is about:
(10) The movie SOAP (Snakes On A Plane) starring Samuel L. Jackson
(11) Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who makes an emergency landing of his Airbus A320 on the Hudson river after it was crippled by hitting a flock of birds shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport
(12) Figures of birds and snakes used in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that were carved millennia ago but also eerily include figures that look like modern airplanes.
“and Lenny Bruce is”:
(1) A Communist
(2) A Socialist
(3) Not afraid
(4) A friend of Mrs. Maisel
“Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no, strength”
Michael Stipe feels that the tempo of this song is too slow and is telling drummer Bill Berry (RIP) to pick up the pace.
True (7)
False (8)
“Wire in a fire, represent the seven games”
(1) MLB World Series
(3) NBA Playoffs and Finals
(5) NHL Stanley Cup tournament
(7) The seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride.
“With the Furies breathing down your neck”
(118) The Furies are goddesses from Greek mythology. They are responsible for vengeance and punishment for all crimes, including breaking of the Social Distancing rules.
(119) The Furies are fans of a sexually oriented subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters.
(120) Furies are electronic robotic toys that look like a fuzzy owl. They are fluent in their own unique native language, but are programmed with a crude interactive Artificial Intelligence that enables them to learn English.
“Johnny’s in the basement, mixing up the medicine.
I’m on the pavement, thinking about the government.
The man in the trench coat, badge out, laid off,
Says he’s got a bad cough, wants to get it paid off.”
(5) These lyrics are from a different song, but could fit COVID-19 now.
(5) These lyrics were written by _____________
(5) All of the above.
“Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you've been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down.”
These lyrics are also from a different song, intentionally cryptic, but could have been an inspiration for Stipe to write ITEOTWAWKI(AIFF).
True (25) or
False (624)
“Team by team, reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped”
(1) Reaction to the summer Olympics possibly being delayed one year.
(2) A typical government press briefing.
“Uh oh, overflow, population, common good
But it'll do, save yourself, serve yourself.
World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed.”
Just shiny happy people having fun! True (0) or False (0)
“Tell me with the Rapture and the Reverend on the right” was about:
(666) Jerry Falwell Sr
(666) Jim Bakker
(666) Pat Robertson
(666) Jimmy Swaggart
(99) “Blondie” Deborah Harry
“The other night I tripped, a nice, continental drift divide, mountains sit in a line,” is more of Michael Stipes obsession with earthquakes.
(7) True
(8) False
“Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.” Who was missing from this birthday party guest list?
(2) Lyndon Baines (Johnson) and his wife “Lady Bird”
(4) Lord Byron
(6) Andy Kaufman
(8) A 5 lb bag of jelly beans
“It's the end of the world…”
(0) … and we know it.
(5) … as we know it.
(9) … as with Noah (and his ark)
Background singers chime in at the end of each chorus stanza with:
(9) It's time I had some time alone.
(5) Tie me up some time at home.
(0) It’s time I had some Tylenol.
“You’re a symbiotic, patriotic, slam buck neck.”
RIGHT?
When handling the cache or log sheet, please take care to limit transfering any virus. Use disposable gloves, or hand sanitizer afterwards.
(1) That N95 masked man was the Alone Ranger. Tonto is working from home now to preserve proper isolation protocol.