What: NoVAGO Puzzle Cache Workshop
When: Thursday, November 14, 2013
Time: 6:00PM - 9:00PM
Location: You are going to have to figure it out. This is about puzzles. We need a puzzle.
Specifically Where: Meeting Room
The listed location of this event is bogus. Not totally bogus, but pretty bogus nonetheless. The real coordinates are in the general vicinity of the posted coordinates, (196 feet away at a bearing of 334.188 degrees to be precise), but they are not correct. You will have to figure out the puzzle (all of which is below) in order to locate the event.
Puzzle caches. You either love them or avoid them like the plague. For those of you in the latter group and the those of you in the former who would like to hone your skills, this may be the event for you. This event will be a reprise of previous NoVAGO Puzzle workshops with some updated slides and information.
What we will attempt to do is to look at puzzle type caches and some of the techniques that may be useful in solving them. What we will find is that with a few tricks, some puzzles are a lot easier that they appear on first blush. We will learn about red herrings, obfuscation and a whole lot of other things. And we will also come to the conclusion that some puzzles are just hard.
The format of this event will be as interactive as possible. Like last time we will have a series of puzzles that while their coordinates may be as bogus as the coordinates of this event, they are good learning tools. We will urge you to form into working groups so everyone can learn from each other and we can use individual strengths to their best advantage.
Feel free to bring along some real-life puzzles that may be bothering you. I cannot guarantee they will get solved, but based on what you should be learning, it can't hurt. There could easily be someone attending who can give you some help.
Oh yes, the location. It is probably time we got to that one.
You will need to find answers to the following seven (7) questions. Put into numeric order, they will tell where the class will be. The location should be obvious once you get the answers but send me an email if you are uncertain and I will verify your answers.
1. A little popular culture knowledge: In cards, these beat Queens but are beaten by Aces. Or, the name of a musical about Siam called "The [Blank] and I". A large amusement park down toward Richmond is called [Blank] Dominion. (https://www.kingsdominion.com). The same word will fill in the [Blank} in all cases. Hint: it rhymes with "Wings".
2. Sports knowledge: The Red Sox play in Fenway [blank]. The University of Maryland is in College [blank]. About 60 miles to the west of here is Shenandoah National [blank]. The same word will work in all three places.
3. General knowledge and vocabulary: That thingy place where they keep all them there books and lend them out to you sometimes if you have a LIBRARY card.
4. Because we have to throw in a little math, what is 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 5 x 5 x 5? How about 9 x 1000? Does 9000 + 0 do anything for you? (hint: it is the same answer no matter how you do it.)
5. A little history, geography, and commerce. Irish statesman and author Edmund [blank] (1729 - 1797). [Blank] and Herbert Bank (www.burkeandherbertbank.com), [Blank] Lake and [Blank] Lake Park in Fairfax County (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelakepark/) The same word will fill in the[Blank] in all cases. Hint: it rhymes with Turk.
6. Think or a body of water that rhymes with a method of cooking. Starting with "Bake" could be a good idea. The word would rhyme with "fake" which is what the posted coordinates are. Or be the last names of actresses Veronica and Rikki.
7. A little word play: Take the word "toad". Remove the first letter (hint: that would be the "T"). Replace it with an "R".
The web page above may also be of help.
The alternate solution is to park in some convenient spot about 100 feet due west of the posted coordinates and let your geo-senses point you in the proper direction. And while you are at it, grab GC261JK since it is pretty close.
If you plan to attend, please indicate in the logs section. I need to bring paper copies of things and want to have enough for everyone. I will bring soft copies of everything if you would prefer that format, but nothing will specifically require a system. I will try to have pdf, doc, and ods formats so most folks should be covered.
There is free WiFi available if you need it. I will bring some of my homegrown tools that people might find useful. Any other self-developed tools you want to share with the group would be appreciated.