Zane Coffin (Geneva Ohio Real Estate Agent)

If you hate Playboy Magazine you can blame it on your government....and if you love Playboy Magazine well you can blame it on your government also....The Magazine that the government hated came about because of thier actions......You think I'm kidding?

1st January, 1942 The U.S. government no longer allowed the sale of civilian vehicles (i.e. cars and trucks).1942 U.S.A. Car Production Stops It was after this date that automobile manufacturers were required to make only vehicles which were to be used for war purposes.

Automobile plants during this time were dedicated to the sale of bombers, jeeps, military trucks, and other gear. The government offered automakers guaranteed profits regardless of production costs throughout the war years. Furthermore, the government allocated $11 billion to the construction of war manufacturing plants that would be sold to the automobile manufacturers at discounts after the war.

When the war ended in 1945, there was quite a demand for new automobiles and auto manufacturers had stopped manufacturing vehicles and equipment for the war effort. And one new company that started up after the war was the Playboy Motor Car Corporation of Buffalo, New York.

The Playboy car was a little automobile that was built by the Playboy Motor Car Corporation. The company only made a reported 97 prototype cars prior to closing up shop. None were ever originally offered for sale to the public. There are currently only about 40 Playboy cars known to still exist in the world. Of those, only about 15 are known to be in roadworthy condition.

So you ask what does this have to do with Playboy Magazine?

INTERESTING TRIVIA ABOUT THE PLAYBOY CAR

According to an episode of the "Biography" TV series and of "The E! True Hollywood Story," a woman who worked for Playboy Motor Cars at the time they shut down suggested to her son's friend that he use the Playboy name for his new magazine. That friend's name was Hugh Hefner.

"The Playboy name was suggested by a friend whose mother had worked at the then defunct Playboy Motor Car Company..." - Signed Hugh M. Hefner

So you see it is the governments fault we have Playboy Magazine #1 reason they went to war and stop production of the automobile #2 reason they didn't bail out the little guy after the war(sound familiar).....

So if you love or hate the magazine just remember it is your governments fault we have it.......or at least their fault it is called Playboy.......

Have a great new year everybody and as always peace zane

On this day December 31, 1966 the Cleveland Metroparks opened a toboggan hill at The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation. so if your feeling the need to fly down a snow covered hill but would like it to be a controlled ride check out the toboggan run at the Cleveland Metroparks.

In addition to tobogganing, guests can enjoy the facility with a snack bar, two fireplaces, a large-screen television, indoor restrooms, and a main gathering area.

Feeling the need, the need for some winter speed? Then watch the video

Directions

Tobogganing operates the day after Thanksgiving (noon - 10:30 p.m.) through the first weekend in March.

There are some rules and regulations to follow and it is one reason we will not be going this year and that is the height....rule 42 inches to ride and Matt is only 39 inches tall so unless he has a growth spurt we will have to wait till next year.....But if all your family is over 42 inches go on out there and have a great time...

Rules and Regulations:

• Children 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• All children must be at least 42 inches tall to ride.
• All riders must wear gloves or mittens.
• Cleveland Metroparks is not responsible for injuries or personal property.
• For your protection, height and safety requirements will be enforced.
• No outside food or beverage permitted inside Chalet building

Have a great time and don't forget to dress warm....peace zane

In Ashtabula County Ohio in the past 2-3 weeks we have lost 6 people to traffic accidents 5 of the 6 were drug and alcohol related. New Years Eve is in the top 3 deadliest nights for drinking and driving on U.S roads. Before you go out tonight find a Designated Driver or better yet just stay home if your going to drink. Please think before you drink....

Although the numbers have fallen over the years we still have to many deaths from drinking and driving 1 is 1 to many just ask someone who lost a loved one from it....I'm sure you know someone .....I know 3 more people just from the last 3 weeks that lost someone they loved from drinking and driving....

Fatal Accident Crash Pictur:es and Stories here is a link to share with your friends and family to show them that this is serious... there are no dead body's in these pics just mangled cars that people were killed in.

*According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), "A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-relatedif at least one driver or non-occupant (such as a pedestrian or pedalcyclist) involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality. The term 'alcohol-related' does not indicate that a crash or fatality was caused by the presence of alcohol."

**A driver involved in a motor vehicle crash is considered alcohol-impairedif he or she exhibits a BAC of .08 or greater.

Alcohol-related deaths in the US since 1982:

Drinking and driving fatalities by state in 2008 (ranked by highest number of alcohol-related* deaths):

Have a great New Year .....peace everyone zane

Well last night we went to the Ashtabula Mall to see Santa and tell him what I want Matt wants for Christmas ... Lego's and Drums.....had something to eat and drove down to Lake Shore Park for the 4th annual Lights On The Lake.

Now if you have never been to this event or even heard of it here is the website check it out Lights on the Lake The site has maps, photos, story's, and a little about the people who put this on every year at Lake Shore Park in Ashtabula Ohio.

I didn't have any idea we were going to go to it last night so I didn't have my camera ....but I had my phone so I shot a few pics with it.....they are not the greatest but you get the idea......You have to see this in person to really get the full effect and what went into putting this together they did a great job.....

admission to Ashtabula County's Lights on the Lake is only $5.00 per vehicle at the gate.

About them.....

So if your in the area and want to have some fun load up your car with friends and family and for only $5.00 you can see a great light display on the lake........peace zane

Here is a great Friday Story about giving! I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to forward this email! Click on the link below to check out the organization

"For the Man Who Hated Christmas"

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it, overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son, Kevin, who was 12 that year was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended, and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in the spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids, all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse.

That's when the idea of his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition, one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

Nancy W. Gavin

This story is a true story and inspired four siblings from Atlanta, GA to start The White Envelope Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting this tradition and charitable giving. The White Envelope Project founders are regularly in touch with the family in the article and are thrilled to have their support. The Gavin family and now thousands of others continue to celebrate the "white envelope" tradition each year. For more information about The White Envelope Project or to honor a loved one through a "white envelope" gift this year, please visit their website: www.WhiteEnvelopeProject.org

peace everyone and have a great day.....zane