No question about it, the duck-billed platypus is one strange creature. About the size of a pet cat, this weird furry mammal lays eggs like a reptile, has a snout like a duck’s bill, a flat tail like a beaver, webbed feet like a goose and walks with legs out to the sides like a lizard. In addition, the male platypus has a venomous spike on its ankles that enables it to kill in self-defense. No European had ever seen such a critter until 1797 when British explorers made their first sighting on the banks of a lake near

The history of the automobile is a history of innovation. It is also a history of unintended consequences. That is, efforts to solve one problem have often created other problems. For example, the reduction of ZDDP content in motor oils resulted in premature wear for flat-tappet cams in older cars. The push in recent years toward smaller, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines and the associated key technologies used to achieve that combination has its own set of new byproducts: engine deposits of a different caliber in places that never used to see them.Deposits come in many different forms and are

In the late 1980s I had an opportunity to interview the two candidates running for the district eight seat in the U.S. Congress, then-incumbent Jim Oberstar and his GOP opponent, Jerry Schuster. My meeting with Congressman Oberstar began at his office in the Chisholm City Hall but quickly moved to the house he grew up in, where I chatted with his mother and daughters while he called his wife in D.C. It was interesting hearing his mother’s stories. One of which I found especially memorable: Jim’s dad was the first person on his block to own a car.It was

The Lube Center first opened its bay doors to the public in 1987 in Frederick, Maryland, and has been proudly operating in the community ever since. What began as a single location has grown into a chain of 11 independently owned and operated shops across Maryland and Pennsylvania, with each operating as part of the “We Proudly Feature Mobil 1” program.Maintaining their customer base and standing apart from competitors are key components of their successful business, according to Lube Center marketing director Cheryl Hanes, who noted their motto is, “We don’t just change oil; we change lives one neighbor at

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to watch the television series “Combat,” which aired from 1962 to 1967. The show was about a U.S. army squadron in France during World War II. When my brother and I played army, he would always be Sarge (Vic Morrow), and I would be Lt. Hanley (Rick Jason). We also had plastic army soldiers like the ones in “Toy Story,” and one of these we called Sarge, too, because Vic Morrow was so cool. During this time, I would save allowance money to buy model kits of battleships, submarines,

If you’re in the business of selling goods or services, there are essentially three ways to increase your revenue:1.     Increase the volume you sell to existing customers. This might appear to be a good strategy because they already trust you enough to keep coming back. There is a risk, however, if you push your luck and are perceived as trying to milk them through unnecessary add-on sales.2.     Raise your prices. The article titled, “How to Raise Your Prices Without Chasing Away Customers,” on page 40 of the April issue of National Oil & Lube News offered suggestions on how

“Gentlemen, this is a football.” —Vince LombardiAnyone who seriously played competitive team sports growing up knows the experience teaches many valuable lessons that can be applied to the rest of your life. We look up to sports heroes not simply because they help our favorite teams win, but also because they exemplify character qualities that inspire us to be the best we can be.Whatever the sport, when one team repeatedly rises above the rest, we call it a dynasty. In the National Football League there have been a number of legendary dynasties. Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns of the 1950s,

Thirty years ago this past October, a young Marty McFly went back in time another 30 years and had the time of his life. The date was October 21, 1985, and the movie was “Back to the Future” starring Michael J. Fox. Christopher Lloyd played Doc Brown, the eccentric professor who transformed a DeLorean into the time machine that made time travel possible. After Marty’s deep dive into 1955, the movie ends with the promise of a sequel and a trip into the real future.  How strange to watch the vision of tomorrow as portrayed in “Back to the

Thirty years ago this past October, a young Marty McFly went back in time another 30 years and had the time of his life. The date was October 21, 1985, and the movie was “Back to the Future” starring Michael J. Fox. Christopher Lloyd played Doc Brown, the eccentric professor who transformed a DeLorean into the time machine that made time travel possible. After Marty’s deep dive into 1955, the movie ends with the promise of a sequel and a trip into the real future.  How strange to watch the vision of tomorrow as portrayed in “Back to the

Looking down the road a bit we see new motor oil specs are coming. One thing you can always count on, whether in business or life, is that change is constant.Because of the upcoming changes in motor oil specifications, I thought it might be interesting to look back at one of the changes that occurred in our last round of motor oil upgrades, the reduction of zinc and phosphorus levels.Zinc-based additives are used primarily as anti-wear agents to prevent premature wear of engine components. Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), which also provides corrosion and oxidation protection, is the most commonly used

Os Guinness, in his thought-provoking book, “In Two Minds,” begins his discussion of the problem of doubt by stating trust is the foundation of all relationships. We wonder whom we can trust and how we can be sure of it?Those of us who grew up in the ’60s were taught to trust no one, especially authority figures. However, this creates a problem. By doubting everyone and everything, we might never be able to develop a firm belief in anything.Selling SyntheticsThere are several areas where people in the industry have struggled because of questions or confusion they have about synthetic

In the year 2000, Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller, “The Tipping Point” created a buzz. The book is about how little things can make a big difference and how at a certain point in time, trends can suddenly deviate in an unexpected way to the upside. We’ve all seen and experienced this tipping point in one way or another. For example, VCRs. I don’t have the stats and dates, but I do know at one point very few people had them. Suddenly, every home had one. Overnight we not only found video rental outlets springing up everywhere, we also found racks of

The green movement isn’t a fad. Environmental consciousness has grown in importance as a contemporary business issue and will continue growing for a long time. Consumer attitudes toward eco-friendly products and eco-friendly lifestyles are pervasive with more people making decisions about where they eat and whom they do business with based on attitudes related to sustainability and environmentally friendly business practices. Studies show people favor products manufactured by companies whose goals include support for a sustainable environment.Because environmental discussions are more complex than a brief overview can present, my aim here is simply to offer a handful of practical

There are two reasons I prefer lunch meetings to phone calls. First, when you know you have an hour, you’re less hurried and can cover more ground in a leisurely manner. Second, there’s something to be said for all the non-verbal cues you can pick up in a face-to-face dialogue. Did I just see you roll your eyes?Before wading into the following discussion, it might be helpful to define terms first. What do I mean by an enthusiast? Specifically, I mean a car enthusiast.According to one website, the defining element of a car enthusiast is, “Cars get them so