...steam engines

I have been following the television series on Big Engines presented by
Chris Barrie (Rimmer from Red Dwarf). Without a doubt my favourite are the
steam engines. These were built is the day when an engineer could build a
world changing technology in his garage (or coach-house maybe). Is there
anything more beautiful in the world of machines than a whopping great
beast of a gleaming steam engine. I don't like the silly little ones that
power steam rollers. I like the big ones that would power ships. Maybe it
is time for another visit the maritime museum in Southampton.

...Wikipedia

This is a great resource. I only discovered it from the Firefox browser.
And what a crazy but great idea to allow readers to edit the encyclopaedia
entries. I have just spent my entire luchbreak reading through it.
http://en.wikipedia.org

...February

Life is starting to fall back into that comfortable normality. Christmas carols (which the children are still singing) receive the same welcome as last nights chinese left-overs. The maintenance period in work is over, just the pieces to pick up.
For most the Christmas chaos has been gone for weeks now, but for me it has been dragging out; but such is the lot of an engineer
Once again I'm starting to read my sailing books, dreaming of the waves and sea the breeze.

Starting to write to my blog again. And better still read the great blogs of my friends.

...queues

Throughout the year it is hard to find someone who is not busy doing this or that; going somewhere or plugged into the telly set. But Christmas is here!

Christmas is a great time for everyone to practice that great British pastime. Queuing.

Folks from all over the country, from all walks of life are standing around for up to 20 minutes doing nothing but standing in a queue.

People desperate for someone like you to tell them some good news. What a better way to put some life into the shopping trip. What a great opportunity!

But we need to practice. So natural it is to fall into that other British pastime.
-Moaning.

To help you get started I have included some excerpts from the:
"Good News - on Cue - Starters pack" (available from all good bookstores).

Introductory phrases: designed to initiate converse with otherwise non-interactive individual. (PLEASE MEMORIZE PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR SHOPPING OUTING)

"Don't you just love Christmas shopping. I get to buy all those things for my DOG/CHILDREN/BEST FRIEND (delete as appropriate) I've been resisting all year long".

"Isn't there a great atmosphere in TOWN/ARCADE/MARKET this time of year".

"Isn't it nice to a have rest for a few minutes, would you like me to pay for that for you?"

---

Interesting fact

"Word History: When the British stand in queues (as they have been doing at least since 1837, when this meaning of the word is first recorded in English), they may not realize they form a tail. The French word queue from which the English word is borrowed is a descendant of Latin cda, meaning “tail.” French queue appeared in 1748 in English, referring to a plait of hair hanging down the back of the neck. By 1802 wearing a queue was a regulation in the British army, but by the mid-19th century queues had disappeared along with cocked hats. Latin cda is also the source of Italian coda, which was adopted into English as a musical term (like so many other English musical terms that come from Italian). A coda is thus literally the “tail end” of a movement or composition."

...forgiveness

"C.S. Lewis wrote, 'Forgiveness goes beyond human fairness;it is pardoning those things that can't readily be pardoned at all'(2)
This is why it is always costly to forgive; we have to sacrifice our pride, our self-pity and our desire for justice. Our culture places tremendous stress on doing all we can to maintain our rights. When we forgive we are laying down our right to justice and our desire for revenge."(1)

(1) Nicky & Sils Lee The Marriage book, Alpha international publications 2002 p.174
(2) C.S.Lewis The Four Loves : Fount , Harper Collins religious 1998 p.116