Posted on 07/16/2026 10:28:26 AM PDT by dayglored
DOHA — With the U.S. blockade of the important waterway back on amid renewed hostilities in Iran, President Donald Trump announced that he would secure the Strait of Hormuz by posting an old man who asks you three questions before you may pass.
The old man, who was reportedly discovered by U.S. military officials as he guarded a rickety bridge over a chasm in rural Britain known as the Gorge of Eternal Peril, will now be stationed on a dinghy in the Strait of Hormuz, where he will bar the passage of any vessel unless its crew can answer three questions.
"Who would cross the strait must answer me these questions three," the old man was overheard saying to an approaching ship. "Ere the other side he see."
Though details remained murky, reports indicated that the questions were "What is your name?", "What is your quest?", and a third question that varied between the interrogatee's favorite color, the capital of Assyria, and the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. Anyone who failed to accurately answer all three questions was reportedly hurled through the air to an unknown location. President Trump was confident that the old man would keep the strait secure.
"Great guy, beautiful guy," Trump told reporters. "He's been doing this a long time, from what I've been told. Asking questions. And you better have the right answers. If you don't, you're toast. I met him. He asked me the questions, and I got all of them right. But not Dan Scavino. He got one wrong and was thrown somewhere. We don't know where. We're looking for him."
At publishing time, the old man had reportedly been defeated by a passing vessel after it answered his question about the velocity of an unladen swallow by asking him whether the swallow was African or European.
And just try quoting Gilbert & Sullivan to them!
“ Lately I’ve been noticing that young people don’t “get” my Monty Python references.
They look at me with blank expressions.”
Most young people here know they have to have seen certain movies or they shall not pass
The Holy Grail is one of them
One of their favorite scenes is the guards and the Prince. “ D’jya mean the Prince? But if, if, if, ehh…”
The question isn’t do they get the humor. They certainly do. The question is what are their parents so busy doing that they don’t sit with them for two hours once a month and watch these flicks?
This one, Jaws, the Thin Man series, Hope and Crosby Road To…, White Chicks, Die Hard, Dr Strangelove, The Heat w Melissa McCarthy, any Errol Flynn, all Roger’s and Hammerstein, Frank Sinatra w Gene Kelly and Jules Munchen, the Marx Brothers, Dark Knight, muppets Christmas Carol
Parents want the schools to educate kids and they have no Americana in the house.
It’s not the kids’ fault
And they do get these movies and references
“Ezekiel”
I had my 10 th graders’ parents asking me why their kids were quoting “
Duke Orsinio from “Twelfth Night” on the car ride home and in the supermarket produce section
They get Shakespeare
They need exposure. That’s not their fault
Just today I had one of them telling me, very amused, how amusing it is to see Keanu in Bill and Ted, after bringing Beethoven to the mall, Beethoven goes to the mall’s piano
They get the humor. They need exposure
Blue no green, Aaaahhhhhhhhahhhhhh
So funny.
They don’t think the Germans bombed Pear Harbor......because they don’t know what Pearl Harbor is.
I was speaking of the generation that I teach music to: ages 8-18 mostly.
I guess my term “Young People” was misleading.
When I was in sixth grade, I had memorized 5 Gilbert & Sullivan Operas. Dad had a stereo and played Classical music all the time, and we had movie night every friday (16 mm of classic Films) Dad was a “Film Buff”.
Everything from Laurel and Hardy to 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Dad and I watched “Dr. Strangelove” together many times, and quoted it extensively.
Something disconnected along the way, perhaps with the advent of cell phones. Maybe the kids spend more time watching those than interacting with their parents.
Luckily, a lot of this stuff is on YT now, and I just send my students links to them.
You’re right. It’s not the kids’ fault.
Yep...that’s it!
At least the kids I teach guitar to are getting exposed to Classic Rock! :-)
I loved Danny Devito in “Renaissance Man”.
I teach kids that age. They do get those movies when shown
They’re no different from us
He’s a Funny guy.
“Parents want the schools to educate kids and they have no Americana in the house.”
We always sat down and helped the kids with homework, discussed things they “learned” in school (lots of propaganda that we could teach from) and other stuff that active parenting involves.
My wife used to watch the Monty Python stuff. I watched one of their movies back in High School and I didn’t care for it. And....does Monty Python count as “Americana”? I suppose it does as it was (is?) so popular here.
It is a movie about teaching Shakespeare to young Army troops.
Thanks...I’ll check it out!
I appreciate the recommendation.
No python is not Americana.
I might have said “culture” or western culture. My beef is w ppl not introducing Americana. Python fits in e my complaint
It does rate as classic comedy.
A friend and I quote Monty Python when we are at work. I had him laughing this morning when I said “I have a very great fwiend in Wome called Biggus Dickus.” And I made sure to use the Pontius Pilate voice.
Ha Ha!
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