WQ #7: February 15: GRID/GRIDLOCK/LINES
“We’re a superpower with a Third World grid.”
Bill Richardson
silhouetted lines punctuated by the sun antique power grid © Marsha Ingrao haiku
Happy Wednesday and welcome to WQ. Grid has a network of meanings from the internet and electric power grids to traffic jams, maps to cattle grates. First used in 1839 as a grate, the word grid is a versatile word whether you are on or off-grid. I’m excited to see what you come up with for this word.
Last Week’s Featured Lovely Bloggers
More has been said about the topic of love than probably any topic in the world. And what says love better than red? Thanks to all who participated in last week’s WQ.
- BUSHBOY’S WORLD – X-RATED BIRDS – BB IS THE NEW BIRD PAPARAZZI
- DEB’S WORLD – LOVING BLOGGING
- DEB’S WORLD – LOVELY IN RED PHOTOS
- EKLASTIC – BEAUTIFUL COUPLE, PERFECT QUOTE!
- GREAT BLUE HERONS – A LOVE AFFAIR
- KEEP IT ALIVE – A POEM OF LOVE, “THE UNIVERSE’S GLUE.”
- LOVING LIFE – HOW TO LOVE OTHERS COMPLETELY
- NATALIE THE EXPLORER – AMAZING RED FLOWERS, CARS, AND PUBLIC ART!
- SECOND WIND LEISURE – PICTURE PERFECT REDS
- THIS IS ANOTHER STORY – AN ANONYMOUS ROSE
- WIND KISSES – LOVE BATHED IN ARIZONA REDS
For More Thoughts on Grids
Your post link goes here.
- KEEP IT ALIVE – BREAKING FREE OF THE GRID
- LOVING LIFE – GRIDS GALORE!
- NOW AT HOME – TROUBLED GRID IN S. AFRICA
- PICTURES IMPERFECT A FABULOUS BUILDING WITH AND WITHOUT GRIDS
- SECOND WIND LEISURE – SNOW GRIDS YOU WON’T MISTAKE FOR CANDY!
Grid – Network of Horizontal and Vertical Lines
Before the word grid; grid was.
Power Grid
“Once-in-a-generation weather events are now becoming a regular occurrence. Whether it be public safety power shutoffs or electric system failures due to extreme weather events, we must invest in grid resilience and modernization in order to keep the power on in impacted communities.”
Alex Padilla
It snowed and is snowing tonight. The power went off for just a minute. Instantly everything went pitch black. It was like being in a cave with no flashlight. Cindy’s power was off for several hours. We depend on this grid for our lives.
It’s amazing when it works. We’re cool when it’s hot, we’re warm when it’s freezing. We can communicate with anyone in the world in seconds through our computers or phone. We cook; we clean; we see; we are entertained. Cindy’s big complaint was that her television went off. I suggested she might go to bed, so she did.
Lay people like me can’t see the power grid, yet it’s mapped out, and it’s fragile. Cars run into a power pole, and thousands of people lose their power. Rain, snow, and wind damage the grid.
After recent attacks caused thousands of people to lose power in Washington State and North Carolina, experts and legislators are calling for tighter security. And the F.B.I. is offering rewards. …The proposals represent the latest efforts to protect the grid since 2013, when a sniper attack on a power station in California raised alarms across the industry.”
—Michael Levenson, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2023
Racing Grids
“grid: the starting positions of cars on a racecourse” Merriam Webster
“I’ve always been attracted to cars, and driving is a completely measurable experience: if you qualify last on the grid, you’re the slowest, and if you qualify first on the grid, you’re the fastest. So no one can say you’re slow if you’re fast and no one can say you’re fast if you’re slow. “
Eric Bana
Okay, that makes a lot of sense.
Are you ready for a race? These two kids were. After a little push, they rolled along the street at about the same speed depending on the push. Nothing they could do but wait and see who won.
There are lots of examples of grids and grid lines in both of these racy pictures. How many grids can you spot?
Networking Grids
“‘Vanity Fair’ did this grid thing a couple years ago, connecting people who’ve worked together, and I had the most branches on it or whatever, because I’d worked with so-and-so and so-and-so worked with so-and-so, and I was kind of in the middle.”
Bill Hader
Isn’t this what we have on the blogosphere grid? We network around the world. And each of us is in the middle of the grid. Isn’t that fabulous?
Miscellaneous Grids
So, at 4:00 am, I bid you, my gridmates, good night. I’m sorry I didn’t link up to any other wonderful challenges. I’ll see you in a few hours back on the GRID again.
Upcoming and Ongoing on Always Write
- WQ Page
- WQ #8: February 22: BELOW/WRITER’S CHOICE/DOUBLE DIP CHALLENGES/WOTY
- #DICKENSCHALLENGE started February 7th. Join Yvette Prior, Trent McDonald, and me in reading ONE – not THREE Dickens’ novellas by June 9th.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
68 responses to “WQ #7: The Power Word – Grid”
https://nowathome.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/wq-5-grid-gridlock-lines/
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Hi Marsha,
Here’s my post
http://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/02/18/wq-7-february-15-grid-gridlock-lines/
Thanks
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Hi Marsha, in South Africa, a lot of talk revolves around our failing electricity plants, poor service provided by the only power utility and the electricity grid. I enjoyed this post.
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Thanks, Robbie. I think that is true across the globe. We are taxing our systems created nearly a century ago to the max and we don’t seem to have a replacement. Poor California, they are pushing electric cars to the elimination of gas engines with no thought of how they are going to supply that much electric energy. If our whole country follows suit, we are going to be in a huge mess. And I have a plug in electric hybrid.
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I know. We don’t have enough power for ordinary life so electric cars are out of the question.
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That must be frustrating. Are there plans for getting more power?
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No plans have been disclosed to the public. We have a generator at home as well as solar geysers and a gas oven and stovetop. Two of my sisters have solar power. People who can afford it make a plan, its the poorer people who suffer the most.
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That’s true everywhere. Especially in developed countries.
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Needs some thinking about! Had to reread Eric Banas quote a couple of times! Is there something I’m missing? It must have taken a while to put this post together, well done ☺️
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Thanks for the compliment, Ali. I was being sarcastic when I said Eric Banas made a lot of sense! My internal comment was, “Huh?” Merriam tells us that one definition for the word grid has something to do with race cars and their place in line. I picked that quote because it addressed that definition and because it was so convoluted that I thought it was funny. Sorry about that – nothing was missing, just a piece of my brain that might have been able to untangle it if the racing synapses had been there. Being raised in Indianapolis, 15 miles from the Speedway doesn’t make one knowledgeable about racing! LOL
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I did think that Marsha! I am the master of sarcasm! I thought I could link my weekly Catch up somehow but would have been a stretch!
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Some grids are stretched to the max, Ali. 🙂
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Goodness….this one challenged me a bit…haha! I enjoyed your perspective and take on it..it really helped me get a direction to go for my post. Love the photos and quotes you used.
https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2023/02/putting-fingers-to-keyboardwq-theme.html
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This was a very clever post Marsha, I had no idea grids could be so interesting or photogenic. Your quotes all fit so well. I must admit those cars on top of the grid starting line scare me!
Thanks for including my post in here!
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You are always welcome for the inclusion, Deb. Those cars go about .5 miles an hour down the road, once they get to the street. They might leave the dock at 1 MPH. It’s the speed of being pushed in a swing! I’m with you about grids. I had no clue that anyone could say so much about them. They are a piece of graph paper to me, intersecting lines at right angles. Boy were my eyes opened. 🙂
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So speaking of The Grid (electrical), I have trouble believing that electric cars are really the answer we are looking for. We can’t seem to keep the power on NOW. What will happen when MILLIONS OF CARS are pulling on the grid to juice up their enormous batteries? Call me skeptical, but that sounds like trouble to my aging ears.
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It is already a problem in California. Not only that, the batteries are great polluters. I say that, and I have a plug in hybrid. My step-son thinks fuel cells are the way to go. They emit oxygen. That sounds like a winner to me.
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Giant nickel batteries are definitely NOT the way to go. I understand people buying them, mind you. Not only is there enormous pressure to buy them, but they are giving huge discounts and if you really go anywhere, the price at the pump makes finding an alternative power solution rather urgent. We do so little driving, the really doesn’t much matter — EVEN with inflation. But yes, those batteries are serious polluters — ALL batteries are polluters AND the nickel mind are evil too and just despoil poor nations even ore than everything else we’ve done to them.
We haven’t found a solution. What worries me is — are we really looking for an answer? Or has everyone just “decided” that electric cars are the winner and we will all have to buy one.”
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In California, it seems that they are going that way, and they are already in trouble. Yikes. I’m in agreement in spite of the fact I have a Prius,.
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I think that is the very definition of “mixed minds.”
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Amen to that, sista!
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We agree with you Marilyn – about the grid and limits with the EV
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why were strawberries in the cups? sample to then sell them?
and fun word, GRID, with a good post exploring the many definitions
🙂
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It was during the annual berry festival at the Woodlake Botanical Garden. The strawberries were for tasting. They did have some to sell, too. 🙂
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Thanks – and they look so fresh and organic – I liked the whole post but that one really stood out! maybe because it is nearing the end of winter and strawberries sounds extra good right ow
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Strawberries were on sale at Fry’s this week so we are having our first strawberry shortcake tonight.
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mmmm – that sounds really good – we just brought home some pears and they are just perfect right now
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Time to start eating our fruits! 🙂
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Yes – packed with vitality and life
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I think I need to eat a garden this morning. Vince had me help him create a logo, a pdf from a png file, a png file from a jpx file, which I’d never heard of, take out words. My brain is mush!
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Ah – sounds like you were also doing wyat you do so well!!
but I know what you mean when the mush feeling arrives – did I tell you that kind of happend to me at the end of October?
I just could not work on any more “projects” and had to press pause
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I am at that point right this second. I blog to keep sane! 🙂
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☀️😊☀️
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This is a fun post, Marsha. And those strawberries! Delicious.
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Thanks, Carol! They were good. I used to grow my own, too. Our strawberries were so wonderful. I do miss them! 🙂
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I peeked at this great post earlier this morning then had to run for my hair appt! Wow, I never knew so many of these images for the bill for “grid” Marsha! I scratched my head trying to figure out how to incorporate grids into my sweet post this Sunday–and I found the perfect image! When you think about all the horizontal and vertical lines there are grids a-plenty!
Anyhoo, loved that first filtered image and the haiku. I remember my cousins in Texas dealing with the failing power grid 2 years (?) ago!
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I’m looking forward to seeing your find, Terri. I took some frosty pictures today, and will post them ASAP. Our snow is melting, and making some amazing icecicles hanging from the trees Add a little sunshine, and it’s a frosty fairyland beautiful enough for Frozen! 🙂
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Fun photos. I especially loved your view at Tuzigot. You also opened our eyes to seeing grid EVERYWHERE. And who doesn’t love Willie Nelson.
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I know! I love that song. It reminds me of my dad. He used to sing it every time we’d get into the car. 🙂
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That’s a great memory.
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Yes!
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Love your edit in the first shot, the sports car, and the mention of waffles. I love waffles and have a waffle maker but haven’t made them in years. I must do so!! ❤
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Me either. Another thing we must do when we get together next time.
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We’re getting a long list! 😉
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true that!
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Beautiful red flowers 🙂
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thank you! 🙂
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Welcome 🙂
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[…] WQ #7: The Power Word – Grid […]
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As always, I’m almost overwhelmed by your variety. Here is my “griddy” post (excuse the bad pun): https://picturesimperfectblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/15/godless-and-immoral/
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haha, thanks, Elke. I’m always overwhelmed by your photos. 🙂
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😊
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[…] Wednesday Quotes #7 […]
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Interesting topic Marsha. Thanks for the mention
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It was kind of a hard one for me. I hope you like it!
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You wrote it so well. I’ll have to do some research 👍🏼
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The dictionary provided the basis of my research. I had no idea that grid had so many meanings. Brainy Quotes has quotes about most of the meanings. So there you go. What fouled me up was looking for pictures first. That’s not a good place to start because there are so many pictures that have gridlines!
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Thanks for the guidance. Yes pictures with grids won’t be easy to find.
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Make some waffles~ 🙂
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Haha! I’d love to have one.
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Perfect! I just read Kirstin’s post. She came up with a multitude of great ideas! When knew there was so much to say about grids?
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I haven’t done it yet.
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There’s plenty of time. It’s only Friday! 🙂
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I know, but I want to give my full attention to it. Thanks
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You are so good!
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Thanks my friend.
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Wow that poem is amazing! Love it Marsha! ❣️
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Thank you, Cindy. You are the poetry guru so your praise means a lot.
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