Ethel The Frog

Spain Wins!!!!!!!!

A clearly "pro-Spain" crowd at Flamingo Pizza & Subs, in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica, watched as Spain defeated Germany to win the 2008 EuroCup.  This is the first major tournament win for Spain in 44 years!

Euro 2008

Current information concerning the 2008 Euro Cup tournament:

Scuba Trip to Playa Flamingo

A group of divers from the Cape Cod, Massachusetts, area visited Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica, in February, 2008, for several days of diving with the Aquacenter at the Flamingo Marina Resort. One of the divers, W. James Rawlings, from Wareham, MA, took these great photos and videos.

Happy Easter from The Ether Bunny

Apple Safari Browser For Windows

Lately, I've been having trouble with both Internet Explorer and Firefox . . . so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Apple has introduced the Safari 3.1 browser for Windows XP and Vista.

I have used it for only a few days, but Safari has yet to freeze or crash like IE, and it is much faster than either IE or Firefox.  It is now my browswer of choice.  You can download Safari at http://www.apple.com/safari/download/.

What!!!! (Maybe I'll Just Hold It)

My nephew is off to Japan, this week, to play football.  I hope he can interpret the toilet signage:

(For more bizarre signs, advertisements, wedding announcements, newspaper articles, etc., take a look at THIS PAGE at CostaFreakinRica.com.)

I'm Convinced - Ito is a "Nut"!

My good friend Spiny Norman (www.NormansJournal.com) has informed me that a letter purported to be from the man who calls himself "Dr. Ito" was slipped under his door, during the night.  (I don't know why Ito feels the need to contact Norman, rather than me - I can only assume that he doesn't know where I live; and I hope it stays that way, because I am convinced that this guy is a genuine nut case.)

If you've read Norman's post today, you'll know that Dr. Ito claims to have frequent visits from the ghosts of both Moe Howard and Harry Houdini.  Now, I know that many people truly believe that communication with the dead is a real phenomenon; however, even if you're a believer, Ito's claims are ridiculous.

Houdini promised his wife, Bess, that if it were possible, he would contact her from the afterlife.  He even provided Bess with a secret code that he would communicate to her if he could. (This was done to prevent fraudulent "spiritualists" from claiming to have contacted Houdini.)

Bess Houdini held b over the course of ten years after Houdini's death, but Houdini never appeared. In 1936, after a last unsuccessful séance on the roof of the Knickerbocker Hotel, she put out the candle that she had kept burning beside a photograph of Houdini since his death, later saying, "ten years is long enough to wait for any man."

Why in the world would Houdini contact Dr. Ito, rather than his wife Bess?  I'd like to ask Ito if Houdini communicated the secret code to him; however, I fear there would be no way to confirm the claim even if he made it, as Bess is now dead and I suspect she took the secret code with her to the grave.

Surprisingly, there are some snippets of true facts in Ito's letter to Norman.  For example, he states that Houdini was the cousin of Moe Howard's wife; however, this is no secret - biographical information concerning Houdini is easy to find - so I give this no weight.

Here's the "kicker" of the day:  While researching this post, I came across a photo that throws a wild twist into the story.  The photo, which I have published below shows Houdini with his arms around Cushie Butterfield and an unidentified woman (possibly Moe Howard's wife Helen Schonberger, or Houdini's wife Bess).  Supposedly, the photo was taken seconds after Houdini admitted to a romantic liaison with Ms. Butterfield - thus the expression on the other woman's face).

What astounds me is that Cushie Butterfield seems to have some connection with virtually every man in the world . . . including the great Harry Houdini.

In any event, Dr. Ito's letter does nothing to bolster his credibility in my eyes. I am more than ever convinced that he is a complete fraud.

On the other hand, my admiration for Cushie Butterfield continues to grow.  She doesn't appear (at least to me) to be the most attractive woman in the world; however, she has been romantically linked with Bert Fegg, Sting, Moe Howard, Kim Jong Il, Ralph Nader, and possibly Harry Houdini.  In the glory days of Havana, she caroused with celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner and Gary Cooper, as well as shady characters such as Meyer Lansky and  Lucky Luciano.  What a colorful life this woman has had!

"Dr. Ito" Discredited - Authenticity of Video In Doubt

On February 26, 2008, a man claiming to be "Professor Ito" stated that he had possession of a video of North Korean President Kim Yong Il, which Ito says was smuggled out of the communist dictatorship.  The video, exclusively posted on this blog, purportedly shows Kim Yong Il admitting his love for alleged Washinton lobbyist Cushie Butterfield and denying that he intended to invite Ralph Nader to sing in his country.

Now, just a day later, Dr. Ito's credibility has been called into question.  Apparently, the man who claims to be "Dr. Ito" (but whose real identity is unknown) has also claimed to have invented the popular cocktail, the mojito.

Ito claims that, approximately five years ago, he collaborated with Moe Howard (of "Three Stooges" fame) to invent the cocktail - which they dubbed the "Moe-Ito".

Ito's claim to be the co-inventor of the cocktail is patently false.  To being with, the mojito is well-known to be a traditional Cuban drink which first became popular in the United States in the 1980s (and has recently experienced something of a resurgence in popularity).  Moreover, Moe Howard (who's real name was Harry Moses Horwitz) died in 1975 and, obviously, could not have collaborated on anything five years ago.

If Ito is willing to concoct such an outrageously false story about the invention of the mojito, one has to question the veracity of his story concerning the Kim Jong Il video. 

More importantly, it is believed that "Dr. Ito" has never set foot in North Korea and could not possibly have smuggled anything out of that country.  Indeed, at the time he claims to have been in North Korea, Ito was seen by credible sources walking the streets of Washington, D.C., asking people if they knew the whereabouts of Cushie Butterfield or if they knew where he could "buy some yellow clay". 

This, of course, begs the question: How does Ito fit into the Cushie Butterfield puzzle? 

When Ms. Butterfield was contacted for comment, she had this to say, "What! You, again. I told you to bugger off! . . . Yeah, I know this guy that you call "Dr. Ito".  He was Moe Howard's houseboy.  Moe likened himself to the Green Hornet and "Ito" was his Kato."

   

Butterfield, who was unusually "chatty", went on to say,"Moe (whom I called "Harry), and I had a secret love affair many years ago.  Ito would sometimes accompany us when we would slip away for a weekend in Havana, during the city's "glory days", before the revolution.  We would drink mojitos and hang out with Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, and other celebrities.  Oh, it was a wonderful time! . . . and Harry was such a generous man . . . he gave me my first pair of galoshes, you know."

Where does all of this leave us?  It certainly leaves us with more questions than answers.

Kim Yong Il Responds to Nader/Butterfield Allegations

In a video smuggled out of North Korea by visiting professor, Dr. Ito, North Korean President Kim Yong Il apparently puts to rest any suggestion that he would invite Ralph Nader to sing in the isolated communist country.

In a strange twist, however, Kim Yong Il states that he is, indeed, in love with Cushie Butterfield, and he discounts any suggestions that she might be romantically involved with rock star, Sting.

Before being cut off, the North Korean President begs Cushie to contact him, if she sees the video.

Ralph Nader to Perform in North Korea?

It has been rumored that North Korean President Kim Jong Il may invite Ralph Nader, US presidential candidate, to sing in his country.

Anonymous sources claim that Kim Jong Il was so impressed when he viewed a video purporting to show Nader singing of his love for Cushie Butterfield that he would like to meet Nader and have him sing for North Korean dignitaries.

Other sources suggest that Kim Jong Il may, himself, be infatuated with Ms. Butterfield and is simply using Nader to get to her.

Whatever the true story may be, a new video has surfaced, which allegedly shows Nader practicing his singing.

Speculation is swirling that Nader may drop his presidential aspirations and instead seek to become the next "American Idol".  Insiders have suggested that his chances of winning the American Idol program are about equal to his chances of winning the US presidency.