The Frogman of Paget has been coaxed from his lily pad by that parish's upcoming UBP primary -- and he's hopping mad.

Named after the giant stone frogs that flank the driveway to his Paget East home, the Frogman -- aka Mr. Dennis Figureido of Rural Hill Road -- was sufficiently motivated by local politics last week to erect a sign in support of Dr. Edward Harris, who is challenging the Hon. Grant Gibbons for the seat left vacant by the recent death of Dr. John Stubbs.

Instructing voters to VOTE FOR HARRIS -- A REAL MAN, the sign also revealed that (Premier the Hon. Sir John) SWAN HAS TOO MANY YES MEN ON THE HILL NOW AND THEY DON'T NEED ANOTHER PAY RAISE. Last Monday, the sign mysteriously disappeared.

Undeterred, the Frogman put up a second placard, this one reading: JOHNNY -- TELL YOUR YES MEN TO BRING MY SIGN BACK. Johnny, by the way, was in a good position to hear the Frogman's cry, since the drive to Premier Swan's home is right just up the road.

Needless to say, the second sign has also vanished.

So, will the Frogman, who admits a strong aversion to "yes'' men, put up a third? "Oh, definitely,'' he told The Royal Gazette last night. "This time I'm going to nail it down or put a dog out in the driveway.'' US Congressmen travel the world hundreds of times each year for speeches, fact-finding and, dare they admit it, relaxation.

In many cases, special interests seeking favours from Congress pay for the trips -- a questionable practice that has led to laws requiring Congressmen each year to submit financial disclosure reports which include details on trips.

A recent scan of Congressional records shows two Congressmen visiting Bermuda in 1993.

They were Mr. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey and Mr. Charles Rangel of New York. Mr. Torricelli and Mr. Rangel, you may recall, played a role in the Premier's efforts last year to stall Congressional closure of the US Naval Air Station.

Both Mr. Torricelli, who is chairman of a House subcommittee on security in the Western Hemisphere, and Mr. Rangel, who is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, also went to bat for the Premier during the election.

Both wrote letters urging the Opposition not to muddy the waters with campaign rhetoric about the base, saying that the Premier had things well in hand.

This year's disclosures show Mr. Torricelli, with nine trips, to be the most travelled Congressman. His forays took him to Hawaii, Tokyo, Portugal and Puerto Rico among others. His sponsor for his Bermuda trip was the Bermuda Insurance Institute.

Mr. Rangel's Bermuda trip was one of seven he took in 1993. He came as the guest of Washington political columnists Evans and Novak who were part of a seminar at Castle Harbour.

NJ Thanks to kind-hearted readers of The Royal Gazette two football-crazy journalists will be sitting in the Citrus Bowl today watching Belgium against Holland in the World Cup.

Alan Wright and David Skinner thought they would be watching Mickey Mouse instead of some of the world's top soccer stars after their promise of tickets fell through.

But after their sad story was told on these pages last week, the newsroom was innundated with calls from readers offering tickets for sale.

So the eager pair rushed to get the tickets and will be able to see both matches during their five day stay in Orlando.

Even World Cup tickets come to he who whinges.

Photo: Tony Cordeiro.