Let me be right up front and say that I hate April Fools’ Day, one might even say I despise it. Every year the net fills up with unfunny crap and there are very, very few silver linings on that giant cloud of suck. I’ve been online since 1989 and I swear some of the stuff I see has been posted, in some variation, at least that long. I like to think I have a decent sense of humor, but I generally try to avoid humanity on April first.
However, sometimes there are things I find amusing, generally when someone has really put the effort into it. I generally find the stuff ThinkGeek.com comes up with to be funny.
And Google really puts some work into their April Fool’s Day jokes.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center posted a video chronicling the evolution of the J-2X rocket, intended to be an upper stage for NASA’s new Space Launch System, from concept through to a successful hot fire test last November. The J-2X is actually the latest evolution of a design that reaches back to the Apollo era. The original J-2 was used on the second (S-II) and third (S-IVB) stages of the mighty Saturn V moon rocket. The J-2X updates the design with new materials and manufacturing techniques, and all new electronics. Even at 50 the J-2 is still an impressive engine.
The J-2 has also served as the basis for later engine designs, such as the linear aerospike engine intended for the cancelled X-33 program. The current J-2X program was initially part of the now-cancelled Project Constellation and was intended to be the upper stage engine for both the Ares I and Ares V. It is one of the components that was carried over into the replacement Space Launch System program when Constellation was cancelled.
Amazon Wireless is giving customers a little extra time to save big on Android devices & 4G LTE services on Verizon Wireless.
First up, originally slated to end March 26th, but extended through March 31st, the DROID Madness Sale. This sale is only good on new Verizon Wireless activations. New activation includes a new individual account, a new family account, or a new line to an existing account. The promotion does not include upgrades or contract extensions.
The second sale has some overlap with the first, now extended through April 15th (formerly March 31st) Double Your Data on 4G Phones. It is pretty simple – all 4G Verizon phones qualify for twice the amount of data for the same monthly price. New 4G smartphone activations and upgrades are eligible, including existing customers with 4G smartphones.
Of all of these the one I’d select is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus – which is in fact the phone I carry. My second choice would probably be the DROID RAZR, or maybe the DROID RAZR MAXX, though battery life hasn’t really been an issue for me so far.
I just posted a round up of F-35 videos on Wednesday, but they just keep coming. Lockheed Martin has posted two more videos featuring the F-35′s flight testing. The first video is on airstart testing. That involves shutting down the engine in flight, turning the F-35 into a rather inefficient glider, and then restarting the engine. Being able to reliably restart the engine is critical, as heavy maneuvering could potentially disrupt airflow into the engine, causing a flame out. Clearing airstart testing is a requirement before conducting high angle of attack, or high-alpha, flight.
They’d also flown the F-35A with external stores, following up on the early flight of the F-35B with external stores that I posted previously:
And the Naval Air Systems Command posted a very brief video of the first steam catapult launch of the F-35C at NAS Patuxent River last November 4th:
Let me be right up front and say that I hate April Fools’ Day, one might even say I despise it. Every year the net fills up with unfunny crap and there are very, very few silver linings on that giant cloud of suck. I’ve been online since 1989 and I swear some of the stuff I see has been posted, in some variation, at least that long. I like to think I have a decent sense of humor, but I generally try to avoid humanity on April first.
