HP Instant Ink

I know I haven’t blogged for a while … okay a LONG TIME – let’s not go any farther shall we? I feel so bad for neglecting this blog and the others.

In my defense I’ve been busy with photography and writing – so many projects, so little time. Isn’t that how it usually goes? And, as some writers (and photographers) know – a good printer (along with plenty of paper and ink) is essential.

See what I did there? A good segue into this blog about one of the FEW services I have had for a long time, and highly recommend.

Yes, to me, three (3) years is a long time – especially for a service commitment. The longest thing I’ve had before that was Club Pogo (2003-2015) and my Sprint service (2010-current).

But, I do HIGHLY recommend this program, something I don’t easily do.

HP INSTANT INK

When I bought my HP 8610 printer in February 2015, not only was it on sale, but it came with a six (6) month FREE trial of HP’s Instant Ink Service. I was skeptical and decided not to use it. It also didn’t expire for a while, so there was no hurry to sign right up.

[My FAVORITE HP printer - OfficeJet Pro 8610; it was also on sale from Staples at the time I bought it]

Closer to the end of the year, I thought – why not? My mom was going to retire in March 2016 and we needed to start saving money. Six (6) months of a free service was definitely a plus. So, in December 2015 – I signed up to get my welcome kit. Also, the expiration for the offer was coming near and I hated to see it go to waste.

A few weeks later in January (2016) – due to the holidays – I got my first ink cartridges. But, as I already had ink in the ones in the printer, I waited until they were out. My billing cycle (free or not) wasn’t going to start until I installed the first one, which was February 13, 2016. And, I haven’t looked back.

[Instant Ink Welcome Kit]

[Set of 4 Ink Cartridges with Instructions]

What caught my attention was the “more ink than XL HP ink cartridges” statement on the enclosed paperwork.

[MORE INK THAN XL? That means less plastic, fewer replacements, and a BETTER value]

For the purpose of this blog, I will be referring to my XL cartridges for the 8610 (950 – Black; 951 Cyan/Yellow/Magenta). Each person’s printer and ink will vary, this is MY experience.  

Now, the XL black yields 2300 pages, the color ones (cyan/magenta/yellow) yield 1500. So, that was a plus! Only changing ink cartridges maybe once a year? That isn’t bad. A monthly option to pay for my ink? That was a sweet bonus, no reason to say no.

How much? Different levels and options (especially right now).

All good right?

Not really.

This is where some people miss the entire point of the program. Why do I say that?

The comments on HP’s posts about the service.

Someone made a comparison to Kodak’s Ink cost which I found interesting. Why? I previously owned TWO (2) Kodak printers. I was COMPLETELY on board with them – for a while.

Background: I bought my first printer when I bought my first computer (April 2003), and my last printer purchase was in February 2015. 

I’ve owned multiple brands of printers in that time – over 12 years, I’ve owned the following:

Epson (3)

Lexmark (defunct 2012-2015)

Brother

Kodak (5100 & 3250 – defunct about 2012)

HP (Photosmart Plus B209 & Office Jet Pro 8610)

The HP – B209 still works, but I don’t use it anymore since I have the 8610.

Anyway …

As you can likely tell, I’ve bought a LOT of ink as well for those printers.

Lexmark was the cheapest printer I owned (purchase price), but the ink cost was astronomical, particularly for the quality (the black looked like dark green). Epson ink was inexpensive and average quality; Brother was mediocre in price and quality. As you can see I only owned one (same as Lexmark).

Getting back to Kodak. They were known for cameras and later as photo developing paper in some retail stores. With my interest in wanting to print hi-quality photos at home – that was one upside to getting a Kodak printer.

They were thought to have “revolutionized” the ink-buying experience – black cartridges for $9.99 (plus tax) and tri-color for $14.99 (again, plus tax). That was another upside – low cost ink. $25 plus tax. Going by today’s sales tax (which has increased since I bought my first Kodak printer), that is $27.04 for both cartridges.

What a deal …

Until you wonder if you had some cyan left but ran out of magenta and yellow which caused the entire thing to stop working – or the other way around? That’s why I prefer the idea of separate cartridges – little to no waste. You’re not tossing a half blue because magenta is out, or yellow. You know what you’ve used.

Another downside to Kodak Ink? I was averaging replacements quite often. The reason? The Black cartridge only yielded about 425 pages (XL -770) and the color cartridge was about 420 (don’t think there was an XL version). $27 a month for that? Not such a good bargain after all. 

Again, on my plan I get 3600 pages a year for about $130. For that many pages with Kodak, I’d have to buy nine (9) of each cartridge. That’s about $243 a year. I’m saving $113 on my plan, even with one replacement set per year. 

Not to mention the sheer plastic waste. Even if I get ONE (1) set of HP cartridges a year – that beats nine (9) sets (1 black/1 tri-color) of Kodak cartridges (as you can’t buy half or quarter one) for a total of 18 cartridges.

HP at least sends a pre-paid postage bag to send back old cartridges to recycle. I had a devil of a time trying to recycle Kodak cartridges with Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max outright REFUSING to accept them. So, in the trash they went for waste. I’m not a tree-hugging, save the Earth type of person. I often forget my reusable bags, but I do try to help out as much as I humanly can. Eighteen (18) ink cartridges is a WASTE, especially if I can cut that down by nearly 78%.

I know some might say that more is better – not here.

This same person also commented that HP’s ink “cost more than a gallon of gas”. Well, with the gas prices I paid recently, that’s a fact I won’t actually try to argue. Sadly it is an ineffectual argument to say the very least.

I don’t think you’ll EVER find a solitary ink tank for less than $4, let alone the four (4) that my printer takes. If she meant a TANK of gas – that depends on what type of vehicle you’re filling up. My car (2008 Chevy Cobalt) has a 13 gallon tank. At its age and mileage, with using mid grade ($3.60/gallon) – I pay $46.80 from empty! Of course it never is empty, so I might pay a gallon or two less.

If you’ve got a 31 gallon Suburban – you’re going to be paying (with mid-grade) $111.60 from empty (again, I doubt most people get it right on ZERO fuel). So, yes, with using my car as an example, the ink is far more expensive than a tank of gas. Using a Suburban – the ink cost less. Not a good comparison at all.

Also, the ink goes a bit longer than the gas. The longest my car goes on a tank is about four (4) weeks. At its highest, I averaged 400 miles on a tank. On the other hand, I’ve seen my Instant Ink go MONTHS between shipments/replacements – about 10-12 months!

I started February 2016, next shipment out? December 2016. 

[Start of service to second shipment, after the initial one]

More recently, I got 2 separate shipments in March 2019. The last shipment before that? March 2018. That is nearly a FULL YEAR (12 months) between.

 

[Almost one year between shipments 2018-2019]

Let me clarify this – I AM NOT PAID BY HP IN ANYWAY.

I wish I was! I have two of their laptops which are nine (9) and eight (8) years old. My first was a black one (DV6 Entertainment) I got from Walmart – and that was back in February 2010. At the time I had a Compaq (HP) Windows Vista desktop – I’m glad Vista is gone.

I liked having a laptop for portability – and it was better suited for my lifestyle. Having Windows 7 was a plus. In April 2011, with a stipend from a student loan, I bought my “backup” – a purple one (HP Pavilion g7).

I’ve replaced hard drives, screens, buttons, cooling fans! So, if I was paid (or employed) by them – I would’ve enjoyed it immensely. I could REALLY use it.

I also got my first HP printer in 2010 as well. And, I loved it. So, that’s why I upgraded to the 8610. Not to mention the sheet feeder for scanning was a MUST-HAVE – especially when you’re trying to go paperless.

Getting back to the HP Instant Ink service and their pricing.

When I started there were only three (3) tiers:

[Instant Ink Plans circa 2015/2016]

I went with the $10 plan (which has been the BEST deal for us). With my sales tax (Nevada – 8.25%) it is $10.81. That’s about 3-4¢ per page. That’s a pretty good deal. I’ve had a lot of rollover pages (currently at 401 plus an expected 86 pages on the 15^th when the next cycle comes around). I’ve NEVER paid for an overage in printing. There were a few times I lost pages, but not too many.

As of late 2018, HP introduced two “HEAVY” volume plans:

[Plan options from my account page]

$14.99 for 500 pages/month; plus additional charge for extra pages [this is one I think for existing customers only as I didn’t see it on their “information” page but saw it in the “account” page] – roughly 3¢ per page (with tax – $21.64)

[Some options from the HP Instant Ink home page]

$19.99 for 700 pages/month – roughly 3¢ per page (with tax – $21.64)

They even have a FREE plan – 15 pages per month for the life of the printer (for printers under $99). That’s great for the occasional letter here or there.

[Yes, Virginia, there is a FREE plan]

[You can even get a card at Staples for the eligible printer]

And, it is SO easy to switch plans – I know, I went on the website to see how easy it was. That’s where I got to see the $14.99 plan.

Now, you won’t get a set of ink cartridges per month – you get it as you need it. Just remember that. Including my initial cartridges, I’ve had five (5) Black cartridges and six (6) cyan/magenta/yellow cartridge replacements from January 2016 to April 2019; that’s less than 2 sets per year. Right now I have a black, cyan, and magenta spare in the box.

I think that is another problem people are having with this – they don’t get a set every month or year. That’s not what was promised. You get it as you need it, and you still save money. You get bigger capacity cartridges so you don’t need to change as often. And, you can check your “pages printed” on the website.

With Amazon pricing (I’m not going to worry about Staples at this point; and some of their pricing is about the same) – I would have paid:

[Current price as of the time/date of blog]

[Cyan/Magenta/Yellow XL cartridges]

$43.89 x 5 black cartridges = $285.07 (with tax)

$33.89 x 18 (6 each cyan/magenta/yellow) = $660.35 (with tax)

As of May 15, 2019 – I’ve paid $356.66 for my plan. Of course, that total includes sales tax. 

Total savings?

  $945.42

- $356.66

$588.76 

[Current billing to July 2018]

[July 2018 to July 2017]

[June 2017 to December 2016]

[November 2016 to March 2016. March was the first billed month.]

That’s roughly about 62.2% savings! Approximately $196.25 per year! [NOTE: Had to update the totals as HP finally updated my account]

As far as shipping costs – I have Amazon Prime, so I could get my ink in 1-2 days after placing the order. Of course, I’d have to already be out of ink (BUMMER) – or know I’m almost out and have the UP FRONT FULL PRICE at that time. That’s not always easy to do on a fixed income which is why per month pricing is a real bonus! It’s almost like a layaway plan or finance plan.

With HP – they send it BEFORE YOU NEED IT. Printer says it is getting low, they get a shipment out. Sometimes I’ve had it MONTHS before I need it. And, again, I’m paying less than $11 per month, so not that much going out at one time making it SO affordable. If you print less, your per month cost is less. 

There you have it – facts, figures, and actual usage from a real uncompensated customer.

Since I still have a spare BLACK – I’ve roughly used close to four cartridges.

Going by my plan and deducting the roll over and unused pages (401 + 86):

3¾ (black) cartridges (haven’t replaced tank #4 yet) ÷ 11,213 pages = 2990 pages

I think I’ve got 10 more pages left in it. Maybe even more.

Remember, the XL Black ink tank is around 2300 pages, I’ve done close to 3000 on the Instant Ink cartridges.

As far as the color ones –

4¼  cyan (1 spare) ÷ 11,213 pages = 2638 pages estimated

4¼  magenta (1 spare) ÷ 11,213 pages = 2638 pages estimated

5¼  (6^th one is in) yellow ÷ 11,213 pages = 2135 pages estimated

Again, color XL cartridges are estimated 1500 pages. I’ve gotten over 2100 to 2600 pages on these Instant Ink cartridges.

Is it a good value? Well, going by my experiences and actual cost …

YES!! ABSOLUTELY!

Only you – the printer owner – know your printing needs whether it is as low as 15 pages per month or as much as 700 pages per month. HP has no-cost (free) to $20/month plans to fit that need. 

It is easy to switch plans online. Just remember that it will take effect on your NEXT billing cycle though.  

Online Safety with Kids and Digital Kidnapping

[Social Media Logos. Image found on Internet]

Back in December 2014, I wrote a blog titled: “Online Privacy and Fake Memories” [http://snapshotsandproject365.blogspot.com/2014/12/online-privacy-and-fake-memories.html].

It was due to the fact that in December 2014; a friend (L) had called out someone about a photo, supposedly back from the late70’s/early 80’s – which you can read about on the above referenced blog. Turns out the kids photo was STOLEN from a November 2014 blog. Even though the photo was backdated to 2008, on Facebook … anyone can do that with their feature.

A mutual friend (R) stated: “wrong, but not really a big issue to worry about” in regards to the other friend’s concern about the misuse of someone else’s photos.

Unfortunately, as we saw in the case of the kids skiing photo, it didn’t stop there and was not a victimless crime. It never really is; and it isn’t stopping either. As “L” said – there are children involved in this that have no say.  

It’s called “Digital Kidnapping” or “Cyber Kidnapping”. Unfortunately it is a grey (gray) area for law enforcement. Many of the laws on the books haven’t kept up with the technology advances. Nevada just recently passed a specific law on “squatting” (you can either research it or I will talk about it later).

As I stated in the above blog, under an update, this was mentioned on the Today show on 2/27/2015 [http://www.today.com/video/today/57041622#57041622]. It was even mentioned in a news article: http://www.fox8live.com/story/28189979/digital-kidnapping-a-growing-trend

Here is an April 2015 WHNT 19 (Huntsville, AL) news article excerpt:

“A disturbing new trend is spreading across social media. People on social media are stealing photos of other people’s children. It's called "digital kidnapping."

The term "digital kidnapping" may seem embellished to some, but the victims who have pictures of their children stolen are left wondering why someone would do this -- and what else are they capable of?” (Riopka, 2015). You can read more here: “Digital Kidnapping: Madison family finds their child targeted by online photo thief” [http://whnt.com/2015/04/27/digital-kidnapping-madison-family-finds-their-child-targeted-by-online-photo-thief/].

Still not convinced enough?  

Yesterday (May 12^th, 2016), part two of a Dr. Phil episode featured a family confronting the “digital kidnapper”. Warning … it is QUITE disturbing.

Here’s the synopsis:

“Did a Stranger ‘Cyber Hijack’ a Couple’s Twins? A Side-By-Side Photo Comparison.

April and Nathan claim a total stranger has been stealing photos of their 4-year-old daughters and posting them as their own on social media.

In fact, they claim a woman named Ashley has stolen hundreds of photos of the girls since they were born and has reposted them as if she were their own mother.” (link will be at the bottom of the blog).

Scary, isn’t it?

I’ll post links to the Dr. Phil videos. But, I do urge EVERYONE to read my previous blog on it and WATCH the videos that I’ll link to later on.

In another blog … “Social Media and Intellectual Property Theft” [http://snapshotsandproject365.blogspot.com/2015/01/social-media-and-intellectual-property.html] I stated the following: “Another point that was made was that the person who shared a photo that wasn’t theirs – they weren’t the first or last person to do it, that it is a sign of the times and it won’t change.”

As a friend and I discussed, unless it happens to those kinds of people … they don’t seemingly care. That’s the attitude that is going to keep it going and keep it being “no big deal”.  

There is something emotionally disturbing about people who want to “steal” someone else’s life or kids for an online profile. What’s worse is when they’re confronted … they first continue the lie, perpetuate the lie, then without emotion say “I didn’t mean you any harm” – as if that’s supposed to give the victim the warm, fuzzy feeling. As if the victim is expected to say “oh, you poor thing”.  

In the Dr. Phil case, the digital kidnapper (Ashley) is not really remorseful (her lack of a real apology is apparent) and tries to keep the charade going. She was asked by the real father of the kids (Nathan) to delete the photos some three years ago – Ashley kept going on, even up to April 1^st of this year.

Then, on Dr. Phil, her attitude reflects that she is supposed to be forgiven and “doesn’t know why” she printed the photos and continued the charade. Watch the videos.

If you (the reader) want to know how serious this is (and can be), picture this scenario … if you will:

Doris is a lovely, but lonely 56 year old lady. But, very lonely. She (in order to combat the loneliness) makes up a story (after seeing a happy couple with two kids) that she has custody of her two grandkids because their parents died in a car crash.

She shares pictures of her two grandkids (Janie and James) online and talks about them constantly. As to why she isn’t in the picture with them? She says “oh, I don’t take pictures of myself, they’re far more important to me after everything they’ve been through”.

Her online friend Mary sees Janie and James with another couple (at Disneyland). Mary calls the cops because Doris is their grandma and their parents died … so this couple must’ve kidnapped them, right? What is this couple doing with Doris’ grandkids? She didn’t say anything about the trip. After all the kids have been through, why would Doris not take them herself?

Well … what if Doris has been lying? What if she, like Ashley did, digitally kidnapped Janie and James by stealing pictures from their parents’ social media pages and reposted them as her grandkids?

And, what would happen to Doris, Mary, the parents, and the kids when this is uncovered?

See what kind of trouble that can cause? Any wonder that back in December 2014 I posted two blogs on the seriousness of this?

Now, some might argue that perhaps Doris’ family might speak out. What if she has no family to speak of, or is using an alias herself? How would we really know?

Here’s the set of videos from the Dr. Phil episodes. They are in order according to the website and “article”.

PART ONE: “I Believe A Stranger Is Obsessed With My Beautiful Twin Daughters and Has ‘Cyber Hijacked’ Them!” [http://www.drphil.com/shows/i-believe-a-stranger-is-obsessed-with-my-beautiful-twin-daughters-and-has-cyber-hijacked-them/; May 11, 2016]:

“Mother Accuses Stranger Of ‘Digitally Kidnapping’ Her 4-Year-Old Twin Daughters”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/mother-accuses-stranger-of-digitally-kidnapping-her-4-year-old-twin-daughters/

 “Did a Stranger ‘Cyber Hijack’ A Couple’s Twins? A Side-By-Side Photo Comparison”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/did-a-stranger-cyber-hijack-a-couples-twins-a-side-by-side-photo-comparison/

“Woman Responds To Allegations She Digitally Stole Photos Of Couple’s Twins & Posted Them As If They Were Her Own Children”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/woman-responds-to-allegations-she-digitally-stole-photos-of-couples-twins-posted-them-as-if-they-were-her-own-children/

“Parents Confront Woman Accused Of ‘Cyber Hijacking’ Their 4-Year-Old Twins”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/parents-confront-woman-accused-of-cyber-hijacking-their-4-year-old-twins/

PART TWO: “Will Ashley Confess”

“Parents Question How Framed Photos Of Their Daughters Wound Up In Stranger’s Home”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/parents-question-how-framed-photos-of-their-daughters-wound-up-in-strangers-home/

“Woman Apologizes For ‘Digitally Kidnapping’ Couple’s Twin Girls: ‘I Really Don’t Mean You Guys Any Harm’”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/woman-apologizes-for-digitally-kidnapping-couples-twin-girls-i-really-dont-mean-you-guys-any-harm/

 “How a Woman Used Social Media And Her Deceased Mother To Perpetuate A Story About Having Twins”

http://www.drphil.com/videos/how-a-woman-used-social-media-and-her-deceased-mother-to-perpetuate-a-story-about-having-twins/

I apologize if this blog is almost like a newspaper (or magazine) to read. I urge everyone to watch the videos above and follow basic steps for protecting one’s family. What do I do?

1.) I don’t allow many people access to my account. Not because I don’t have several requests – I don’t know some of these people. I am not going for a “most friends of all time” award. I want to know and interact with REAL people. If they’re not someone I know (either we have a mutual friend; I’ve really met them; or I can vet them) – I say “NO” to that friend request.

2.) I am not comfortable allowing people to know where I live – after all, I don’t know some of these people. I keep my Facebook LOCKED down by posting all “sensitive” stuff to only those who have my address or who I’d let know where I live (family, close friends).

3.) I am not about to let strangers know when I am not going to be at home. So, I keep that only for family (cousins, uncle, and my mom) and a few friends (who are just as close as my family). That’s who I’m going to also show my vacation posts to and pictures of my kids to. It also cuts down on potential suspects.

4.) Watermark photos with something. Keep the originals in a safe place other than a computer (flash drive works well and if you can on DVD, holds more than a CD). Try to be accurate with the file dates.

5.) Watch out for groups on Facebook. Predators can lurk here – which is obviously what happened to the Willis family.

6.) Never refer to kids by full name in a public post. Use Twin/Triplet #1; Daughter #1; DD (dear daughter) #1; kid#1 (if family has multiple boys and girls). Things like that. Also don’t reveal real birthdays.

7.) Watch the frequency and type of postings.

I said the following in another blog, but true here …

8.) Don’t be available in search on Facebook

9.) Set “friend requests” to “Friends of Friends”

10.) Maintain the strictest possible privacy on Facebook and Twitter

          A.) Don’t be afraid to have lists on Facebook

          B.) Don’t be afraid to de-friend or block on Facebook

          C.) Don’t be afraid to contact authorities either

          D.) Don’t be afraid to have one public Twitter and one “family only” account. FYI: I think Twitter needs to have a family only list or option.

11.) If anything seems suspicious – REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY!!! Don’t forget to do your homework, take screenshots, keep emails.

As I said in a previous blog:

“Just because something has been done (and repeatedly) doesn’t mean we should allow it to continue. We can take precautions by limiting what we do online to impact that privacy. We can make reports against people as well.

I don’t think we can stop it entirely, but there is nothing wrong with being vigilant about it and educating our friends to being a bit more cautious online.”

But, we should encourage legislators to pass stricter laws and penalties. Laws are useless without enforcement.

I do urge people to exercise as much caution as possible. And, as I also said:

This is not just a "minor" matter. This crime has a name. And, there are victims. And, those victims may be too young to speak for themselves.  

“High Flight” – The Challenger, Pepcon, Myself, and a Rocket

[Collage photo of my "rocket" from 8th grade. Photos taken by me, and collage made by me] 

Talk about a #ThrowbackThursday!

Challenger – 30 Years Later

I can’t even begin to imagine this day, all those years ago. And, all the days that followed. I’m trying to piece it together – and I still can’t.

From a young age, racing and story-telling were not my only interests. I loved the idea of going out and exploring the universe as well. Which was why my first science project involved the solar system, it was later discarded as “trash” which really hurt, and also made me despise doing projects. Why do them when they could be thrown away and discarded?

But, after Challenger – something changed. I don’t know why. My lack of interest in science was noted in school records. Though I got good grades, my “lack of interest” bothered my teachers.

While I knew the day would get here, something about those “milestone” anniversaries get to me. The 28^th is much overlooked, but when it hits 30^th, it’s pretty much “hard to believe”.

So too is today.

Today, for those who weren’t around (or paying attention) is the 30^th anniversary of the Challenger accident/disaster.

By saying “accident” it diminishes what truly was a historic and yet so preventable incident for NASA. Calling it a disaster, when compared to other things, seems wrong too. But, it was – for the time (and now) an accident/disaster. That disaster would lead to another a few years later near Las Vegas near the end of sixth (6^th) grade.

What’s life been like in the past 30 years? Interesting, scary, and definitely memorable.

January 28, 1986

The day began like any other – that’s about all I know. I was in fourth (4^th) grade at Robert E. Lake elementary and liking “breaking in” a new teacher. Which, we’d end up going through 4-6 of them that year.

I remember my grandma telling me about it after she picked me up from school. The teachers, as I recall, the teachers didn’t want to tell us – it was too upsetting.

I get it. But, at age nine (9) – I was already used to death. Sad, but I was.

I know there were a lot of emotions centering around it. My mother and grandmother protected me.

Was that a good thing? I don’t know …

What I didn’t know (or anyone else) was that an unintended consequence was brewing from Challenger.

May 4, 1988 – PEPCON

Flash forward now two grades, and nearly two and a half (2 ½) years later – 6^th grade. May 4, 1988.

Because of the “suspension” of the space program, the Pepcon (Pacific Engineering and Production Company of Nevada) plant in Henderson, Nevada stored the excess rocket fuel or ammonium perchlorate as they were instructed to by the government.

“Ammonium perchlorate is a powerful oxidizer which is mixed with combustible materials to produce rocket fuels”. (Routely, 1988).

“4,500 tons of the sugar like ammonium perchlorate sat at the plant May 4, 1988, the day of the explosions. Much of it was in drums and containers, ready for delivery”. (Rogers, 1998).

According to the Routely FEMA report, the fire is believed to have begun in a “drying process structure” between 11:30am and 11:40 am (Pacific Time). Because of a windstorm, the steel frame with fiberglass walls had been damaged. A welding torch was being used for repairs. Naturally, the fire spread rapidly in the fiberglass material, accelerated by ammonium perchlorate residue in the area. The flames spread to 55-gallon plastic drums containing the AP in a storage area.

“The time between ignition and the first explosion has not been determined exactly; it was estimated at l0-20 minutes”. (Routely, 1988).

The team at Pepcon abandoned fire control efforts and began evacuating. Two people died. One stayed behind to call the fire department, and another was a wheelchair bound employee who couldn’t leave. The first of the two explosions were in a drum storage area. The second explosion was the largest one – and was the one I likely saw from where I was – which was at school.

“In addition to the chemicals at the plant, a 16-inch, high-pressure (300 psi) natural gas transmission line ran underneath the plant and also supplied the plant through a pressure reducing assembly”. (Routely, 1988). The gas line wasn’t turned off until 12:59pm according to the report.

“All told, seven explosions occurred involving various containers of ammonium perchlorate, with the two largest occurring in the plastic drums and then the aluminum containers. These two explosions were measured at 3.0 and 3.5 on the Richter scale at an observatory in California! Over eight million pounds of the product were consumed in the fire and explosions. A crater estimated at 15 feet deep and over 200 feet long was left in the storage area”. (Routely, 1988).

Not even the Clark County firefighters could get near it.

“Both the PEPCON facility and the neighboring marshmallow plant had been destroyed in the explosions prior to their arrival. The magnitude of the fire in the PEPCON facility was beyond any fire suppression capability, and flames also were visible in the rubble of the marshmallow plant. The only hydrants were in the immediate area of the two involved plants, but there was no water supply due to the loss of electrical power to the pumps. Recognizing the danger and futility of operations, no attempt was made to approach or to fight the fire”. (Routely, 1988).

Other than the two people died that day, over 300 were injured (including fifteen firefighters), and Boulder Highway looked like a war zone. Some cars, according to Routely’s report had been blown off the road.

“Witnesses reported that this explosion created a visible shock wave coming toward them across the ground”. (Routely, 1988).

The incident, according to the report, cost close to $100 million in damages. A lot of us kids were taken out of school early – including myself.

“Investigation into the event found that the destructive energy from the larger explosion was roughly equivalent to 1,000 tons of TNT or one kiloton, approximately the same yield of a tactical nuclear weapon”. (Bellows, 2008).

That “blast” was another “fall-out” from the Challenger disaster.

The Pepcon site is now, according to Paul Szydelko of VegasSeven, Wigwam Parkway and Gibson Road a place I routinely pass five (5) to (6) times per week. I’m only about three (3) miles north of the site.

[I claim no ownership to this. This was taken by a repair crew from Black Mountain in Henderson, NV May 4, 1988]

[I do not own this image. I found it from an article on Vegas Seven's website]

High Flight and a Rocket –

In 8^th grade (1989-1990) some 3-4 years after the Challenger “accident” (and 1-2 years after Pepcon) – a science teacher gave me a poster with the poem “High Flight” on it. It was the poem etched into the Challenger memorial where some of the astronauts are interred.

[Poor quality. This was a picture my mom took in 1989-1990 of me holding the poster my 8th grade science teacher gave me]

[The poem on the Challenger memorial. I do not own this image. I found it online.]

[Front of the memorial. Again, I do not own this image. I found it online.]

Incidentally, it was at that time that I started really getting into my writing. I’d spend my lunch time in the library, on the computer typing away. The stories would become “practice” and eventually shredded, but it was the start of something.

Anyway ...

The teacher wanted to give me hope (about the space program) as I was no longer interested in science anymore (which was one of my “aptitudes”). Despite having “promise” in science, I just wanted to walk away from all things “science” and “space” related.

We also had a great thing going on that year. The “Rocket Program”. We were given (or my mom might have bought it through the school) a rocket to paint/design and on “launch day”, we’d get either the high-powered engine (less chance of rocket retrieval, potential destruction), or lower powered engine to launch the rocket (greater chance of rocket retrieval), which would then cause the nosecone to pop off (it was held together by a rubber connector called a shock cord) and the parachute would guide it back to us.  

[Not a picture I own. Got this image from the Estes website. This is identical to the rocket I got in 1989-1990]

[Got this image from the Estes website. This is identical to the rocket I got in 1989-1990]

[Got this image from the Estes website. These are the "engines" for the rockets like what I built. They're sold on their website.]

[Various "student" rockets. Photo found on the Texas A&M University - Central Texas website] 

[Scanned image from PDF "hand-out" on the model rocket flight profile]

Or we could opt out … which I did … at first. I had no interest in it. My mom wouldn’t give up – and I don’t think my teacher wanted to either. She certainly didn’t want to see me opt out.

I was, silly as it seemed, afraid of a disaster. Yes, while small – the rocket engines could cause a disaster. But, my mother and teacher both knew there was something in me that still wanted that “flight”. Yet, I shied away.

I don’t remember if the poster caused me to go through with it, or I did it and the teacher gave me the poster.

All I know was the program was about to be scuttled because of the kids who wanted the “A” rockets and something else was going on at the time. I was mad at them. But, not for myself. For the others who were truly excited about it.

I reluctantly painted that brown and red rocket in two colors: pink and purple, and added glitter to it – either for launch or just to have as a souvenir. It was simple, for me. As the day neared and the “hub-bub” settled – we were confirmed for “launch”.

I was lucky enough to get the high powered” rocket.

Launch day came and for the first time, I was really excited – again. I got to launch the rocket. No disaster – rocket retrieved and safely back in my hands. I realized that I had to participate – if only in memory of the Challenger crew.

After the Rocket and Today –

For almost 27 years that rocket has been at times babied, lost, forgotten, in danger of a trash can (mostly because of my grandmother), bent, misplaced – but always somewhere that it could pop out and say “hi, I’m here”.

A few years ago, I found it in some storage stuff and sat it in a basket. Today, thirty (30) years after Challenger, I brought it inside the house. 

I finally took the time to look at it and remember what Ronald Regan said 30 years ago after the disaster: “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave”. 

And, it brought me back to something else: “our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”.

That “rocket” reminds me of where I came from (no, not Krypton, lol). And, also what I’ve been through and who I am. So, it seems fitting that it serves as today’s #TBT picture.

That rocket won’t see flight again. It’s not “flight worthy”, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t sit here, look at it, and remember to “dream” when I look at the stars.

Today, my dreams no longer center on space or exploration. They center on something closer to home: writing and telling a story (no not about space or exploration of it). Another dream is to one day see one of my stories on a movie or even a TV screen.

But, I learned that we can’t realize those dreams without getting back up after falling, reaching up, and giving it another “go”.

Here is the poem:

“Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds -

and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of -

wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.

Hovering there I've chased the shouting wind along

and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,

where never lark, or even eagle, flew;

and, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

the high untrespassed sanctity of space,

put out my hand and touched the face of God.”

John Gillespie Magee,  Jr.

References:

Bellows, A. (2008, September 10). Damn Interesting » The PEPCON Disaster. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://web.archive.org/web/20090217113239/http://www.damninteresting.com//?p=800

Business Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2016, from https://www.tamuct.edu/departments/aviation/studentactivities.php

Clark County. (n.d.). Pepcon Explosion. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/fire/Pages/PepconExplosion.aspx

Estes Rockets. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://www.estesrockets.com/

Moyer, J. (2016, January 28). Exactly the right words, exactly the right way: Reagan’s amazing Challenger disaster speech. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/28/how-ronald-reagan-explained-the-challenger-disaster-to-the-world-its-all-part-of-taking-a-chance

One killed, three injured in southern Utah plant explosion. (1997, July 30). Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://lasvegassun.com/news/1997/jul/30/one-killed-three-injured-in-southern-utah-plant-ex/

Routely, J. (1988). Fire and Explosions at Rocket Fuel Plant Henderson, Nevada. Federal Emergency Management Agency United States Fire Administration National Fire Data Center. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-021.pdf and https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-021.pdf

Szydelko, P. (2015, November 19). Remembering the Pepcon Disaster - Vegas Seven. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://vegasseven.com/2015/11/19/remembering-pepcon-disaster/