ABOUT ME



My Twitter Page

Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts

Sunday, July 22, 2012

MY LIFE: My take on the town of Humansville!

We passed by a town in Missouri called "Humansville"! I said it sounded like the name of a homo sapien ghetto on a robot planet, or a really bad name that a town of aliens came up with to hide what they were!

My daughter and my girlfriend, for some reason, gave me weird looks!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humansville,_Missouri

Friday, October 01, 2010

MY LIFE: A Visit To Peculiar Missouri, Part 3: The Robot Revolution And Why Peculiar Is Peculiar, And Not!

Sorry it's taken so long to get part 3 done. If it's any consolation, I'm already over half way done with the next post! - OlderMusicGeek

Link to Part 1
Link to Part 2

Now it was my turn to eat.

I skip the truck stop next to the freeway because I figure it will mostly have people pulling off the freeway for a bite to eat, and I want to go somewhere where all the Peculiar people go!

So we go to the u-shape strip mall where we saw a couple of the restaurants.

I go to a sandwich place first. It seems like it would be more Peculiar than the Mexican or Chinese place there.

It is strangely named with the simple “The Sandwich Shop”. It was if it was named by someone who did know how to name a sandwich place.

When I go to the door, I notice the place has no signs or menus on the wall and is completely empty of furniture except a counter, placed there as if it were some prop!

It was, of course, locked. So I went to the Mexican restaurant. But it also was locked and looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Also, it was looking like a prop with the front of the restaurant bare except for the sign with its name.

Then I went to the Chinese restaurant. Same story, locked, bare, only a sign, the same prop look.


“What the hell? Don't the people in this town eat?”

Of course, that's when it hit me! Do they? The only restaurants that were open were the two that get business from the freeway!

Good Lord, did we stumble into a town of robots? Cannibals? Human-eating aliens?

Then I remembered there was still the greasy spoon further in town. It was a risk, but by god, I had to see it through.

So I hopped in the car and drove further into this town of danger and mystery!


Unfortunately, the danger and mystery wasn't very forthcoming. The diner was your typical small town diner. Old and a bit run down, but clean and well taken care of.

And the two teenagers working there were your typical laid back teenagers. The girl dressed in shorts and t-shirt. No long skirt like someone who didn't know how people really dress.

And the guy wore jeans that hung off his buttocks. And he snuck peaks at the girl in the shorts when she wasn't looking. Damn it, typical teenager behavior, not like robots at all!

About the only thing peculiar going on that diner was the half-white, half-black kid sitting alone leaned back in her chair bobbing her head to her iPod. But that's pretty typical behavior for my daughter.


And everyone who came in while I waited for my food were annoyingly normal! My god, did I somehow get to Normal, Illinois, by mistake? Was that what made this town peculiar? It sent you through some space anomaly to Normal? But then why was everything named Peculiar This and Peculiar That?

I finally couldn't take it anymore! I asked one of the other customers if she was from Peculiar. I think she started to think I was peculiar! Imagine that!

Anyway, she said she wasn't originally from there, but had been living there for over fifteen years. So I asked her if she knew why the town was called “Peculiar”.

She gave a story that pretty follows what the website for the town of Peculiar said.


The story basically goes like this...

The early settlers had a hard time picking a name for their little spot on the map. After arguing over it a few times in the general store, they sent three names to the post office, who I guess makes the town names official.

Well, it seems the three names the settlers chose were already taken, so the fed up town told the post-master general that they didn't care what they got “so long as it is sort of peculiar”.

Apparently the post-master general either had a sense of humor or was a smart ass... or maybe he was just fed up with town. Or possibly all three!

But he wrote to the town, “in all the land it would be difficult to imagine a more distinctive, a more peculiar name than Peculiar.” And that, supposably, is how the town got it's name... and not because it's populated by aliens, demons or robots, dang it!


So that pretty much concluded our adventures in Peculiar. I ate my chicken sandwich, which tasted fine and not funny at all. Then I got in the car, and my daughter and I hopped on the Peculiar exit and head out town, and I must say we did so rather disappointed.

But I guess now, one of these days, when we go to Chicago, we'll have to check out just how normal Normal, Illinois, really is...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

MY LIFE: A Visit To Peculiar Missouri, Part 2: You Are Now NOT Entering The Twilight Zone, Have A Nice Day!

This is from me, and NOT reprinted. - OlderMusicGeek

A link to Part 1

So an hour or so later finds my daughter and I going up the Peculiar ramp.

We head up the Peculiar main street. I have to admit that we are disappointed to find nothing strange or out-of-place. Looks like a typical small Midwestern town. No buildings that look they're a cover or disguise for a secret lab or giant spaceship, damn it!

We stop to get gas at a Casey's, a typical – not peculiar! – convenience store you find scattered all over the upper Midwest countryside.

I asked the people in the store about their local restaurants. Nothing strange and unusual there either, damn it! A Subway, a Chinese restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, a truck stop, and a local greasy spoon.

And the people in the store seemed aggravatingly normal too! Didn't strike me as mind-controlled or demon-possessed or disguised aliens. Just typical small town Midwestern folk, damn it!


Well, in a vain hope of trying to find something peculiar, my daughter and I continue down the main street and check their other busy street.

Although we don't see anything peculiar, I make stupid jokes with my daughter, eyes rolling, about the Peculiar elementary school, Peculiar golf country club and Peculiar this-and-that.

It is at this point, I realize that this is exactly something my dad would do with us kids, and we would groan and roll our eyes too! Yes, so even though I'm becoming a woman, I'm still becoming my dad!


My daughter and I did – finally! - find something slightly peculiar in Peculiar. There, on the wall, of a small silo, at The Peculiar Feed Supply store, was a big ole happy face. My daughter even made me wait to take a picture of it, though typical teenager she was, she didn't want a picture of herself in front of it!


For lunch, my daughter went with the boring choice, Subway!

“Subway?! You're in Peculiar. You can go to a Peculiar restaurant, and you choose Subway?!”

“Yeah, why not?”

“What are you going to tell your friends when they ask where you ate in Peculiar?”

“I'll tell them I went to a Peculiar Subway!”

I just roll my eyes.

MY LIFE: A Visit To Peculiar Missouri, Part 3: The Robot Revolution And Why Peculiar Is Peculiar, And Not!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

ENTERTAINMENT: Want To Smell Like Kirk?

Meant to do this for Valentine's Day - you know, cus Valentine's Day and Star Trek just go together! - OlderMusicGeek

All big movies - and some smaller ones - have a lot of promotional merchandise, but this is one of the more strange ones: they're coming out with a Star Trek cologne.

So...many...jokes.

The real Trekkie man will be wearing either Tiberius (that's Kirk's middle name), Pon Farr (Vulcan horniness), or Red Shirt (they're the guys that always, um, die when they beam down to another planet).

Why would Star Trek fans need a cologne? They don't go on dates! (Just kidding.)
TV Squad: Hey Kirk, What's That Smell

How would you like to smell like a bad ass Starfleet Captain? Or give off that musky Vulcan mating smell? Well now you can! A tie in with the new Star Trek movie coming out this May will include Star Trek themed colognes. Genki Wear is producing the scents Tiberius, Pon Farr, and Red Shirt. So if you’re looking to woo that special geeky girl you’ve been looking to, ahem, stun with your phaser, this may do the trick. There’s no guarantee that the Tiberius cologne will attract green-skinned alien women, though. And let’s certainly hope that wearing Red Shirt doesn’t mean you’ll get killed off before the end of the date.
Geek Six: Smell, The Final Frontier

Apparently, the "Tiberius," "Pon Farr" and "Red Shirt" fragrances will be available in finer stores starting the spring for an undisclosed price. Start saving guys. After all, who could resist the the enchanting musk of James Tiberius Kirk, the raging hormones of Vulcan pon far or the live-fast, die young personality of a red shirt stock character?

comments...
Dirkfart Faeclefunk: Was this tested on Klingons? "They're animals!"
Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®:Red Shirt... It's the last cologne you'll ever wear...
Gizmodo: Love, Jealousy, Passion...Star Trek Cologne For Men

Star Trek Uno, anyone? Perhaps you’d prefer a Vulcan cookie jar. Or maybe you’d like to buy your man some ... Star Trek cologne? Genki Wear is producing a trio of Star Trek inspired scents: Tiberius, Pon Farr, and Red Shirt. So, if you want your man to smell like Captain Kirk, go into a Vulcan heat, or get down like a red shirt, Star Trek cologne can make it happen. That is, if you’d date a guy who’d wear it.

comments...
Simcha: Bring on the dudes who smell like Kirk!
Chelle: WTF? They make one called “Red Shirt”? What does it smell like, death?
The Frisky: Would You Date A Guy Who … Wears Star Trek Cologne?

Have you ever wanted to smell like a sweaty James Doohan? Well, then, good news! CBS is licensing three Star Trek-themed body fragrances in order to market the new movie in the series.

comment...
Gauldar said: Put a pinch of it on your Vulcan neck.
Neatorama:Star Trek-Themed Cologne Coming Out Soon

Oh yes. GenkiWear is apparently developing three Star Trek-themed fragrances to be released in the spring. For those looking to engage another carbon-based lifeform and boldly go where -- nah, forget it, I'm not going to sit here and use lame Star Trek lines as tired sexual euphemisms. I'm above that. So I'll just say that true nerds can rejoice in their complete devotion to one of the world's nerdiest creations as they spray some "Tiberius" on their wrists. I just hope nobody seriously thinks a scent called "Pon Farr" or "Red Shirt" will help them beam a chick off the bridge and into their bed (it was just too easy!).

comment...
Skyhawk: Yeah baby. What woman can't resist Klingon musk? Oh wait that's actually fanboy B.O. Nevermind.
The Huffington Post: Star Trek Cologne:The Next Generation of Nerdom



Usually I’m confused and upset by rampant movie merchandising. I don’t really need Wall-E themed kleenex, or a James Bond Omega watch. OK, scratch that. I’d like an Omega James Bond watch, but there’s no way I could afford it.

Anyways.

Despite my antipathy towards this kind of branding exercise, I find myself oddly excited over the news that the a new line of men’s cologne will be accompanying the new Star Trek film, due out in May. The three scents - “Red Shirt”, “Pon Farr” and “Tiberius” - conjure the muskiness of command, Vulcan mating rituals, and Captain Kirk respectively.

Now, you might be asking yourself “which Star Trek scent is right for me?” Well, this is a deeply personal decision, one you must come to after hours of painful introspection. For me, the choice is clear. If I wear “Red Shirt”, my odds of dying on an away mission increase exponentially. And as I understand it, “Pon Farr” can only be worn once every seven years, and will necessitate some sort of grim battle to the death.

No, “Tiberius” is the Trek cologne for Graeme. Because really, who doesn’t want to smell like Captain James T(iberius). Kirk? A galaxy full of sexy and occassionally green space-babes can’t be wrong!

Nunc Scio: WANT: Star Trek Cologne

I am not prepared to live in a world wear there is Star Trek-themed perfume, okay? Forget the "Red Shirt" one, because it assumably will smell like sweat and fear and having just pissed yourself in fear, but "Pon Farr"? The Vulcan mating time, when they basically hump anything that moves? How was this not recognized as the worst idea in the entire world immediately? Also, how can you wear a scent based on James T. Kirk, the galaxy's greatest poonhound, and not get fucked to death by hot green-skinned alien women?

Okay, "Tiberius" might be okay. But I highly disapprove of the others.

comments:
Scott said: Does Pon Farr burn you when you put it on, causing you unbearable pain until you get some tail?
Zach Oat said: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the C.K.One."
ZeroCorpse said: Other Trek scents I'm looking forward to: Tribble, Mudd, Horta, KHAAAAAAAAAN!
telezombie said: Dude....if they made Khan I would so buy that by the gallon and bathe in it daily.
Topless Robot: Who Wants to Smell Like a Rutting Vulcan?

Monday, January 05, 2009

CULTURE/SOCIETY: A History Of The 20th Century Using Science Fiction

This is from me, and NOT a reprinted piece. - OlderMusicGeek

I was just wondering what kind of view future historians would have of the 20th century if the only material they could find was a collection of science fiction. My guess is their timeline would look something like the following.

"early in the twentieth century" - Martians invade Earth, causing severe trouble for London and England before being killed by germs. (War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells)

1908 - The Tunguska explosion in Russia. Which aliens are behind this is strongly disputed.

1938 - The Martians invade Earth again, but in the eastern United States, and germs still kill them. (War Of The Worlds by Orson Welles and The Mercury Theater On The Air)

1940 - The Second World War starts. ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov)

1940 to 1960s - Second World War (The Shape Of Things To Come by H.G. Wells and Things To Come)

1945 - A B-29 carrying an atomic bomb, with an escort of P-51 Mustangs have a run in with a "foo fighter" at 171E 42N. Everyone crashes and sinks. The Navy sends the submarine Zeus Faber to locate the crash site, which it does, although of the crew of 144, only 7 return alive. (X-Files)

1945-1978 - post-war society takes strong swing towards religion. ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov)

1947 - An alien vessel crashes near Roswell. Who's involved and what the vessel was exactly is strongly disputed.

1947 - Deep Throat claims the Roswell Crash was a "smokescreen". He also claims that it was the source of the first alien DNA ("Erlenmeyer Flask"). He also claims that the crash prompted five nations (US, USSR, UK, Germany, PRC) to reach a secret accord that any aliens found alive would be killed - [although he has been seen referring to this as "Security Council Resolution 1013]. (X-Files)

1949 - The Martians invade again still, this time in Ecuador! And are killed by germs. (Radio Quito's War Of The Worlds)

1950s - The Martian invade once again, but in southern California this time, and once again are killed by germs. (The War Of The Worlds film)

1963-1966 - An friendly Martian anthropologist lands on Earth, befriends an Earthman and hijinks ensue. (My Favorite Martian)

1964 - Santa Claus helps save some Martians. (Santa Claus Conquers The Martians)

1966 - The Strike of '66, where the people who work on the moving roads go on strike. ("The Roads Must Roll" by Robert Heinlein)

1968 - The Martians try once more, in eastern United States again, and are killed by germs once more. (WKBW's War Of The Worlds)

1970 - England survives the global war as individual cities. The Wandering Sickness, a virus dropped by planes, is wiped out by killing the infected. (Things To Come)

early 1970s - Over 75 percent of the people living on Earth are under 21 years of age. The population continues to climb — and with it the youth percentage. (Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson)

1970s and 1980s - hundreds of millions of people starve to death (The Population Bomb by Paul R. Ehrlich)

1970-1980 - a space lab, lunar landing, a nuclear rocket, translating machines, gravity waves (Profiles Of The Future by Arthur C Clarke)

1972 - Astronauts Taylor, Dodge, Stewart and Landon are launched on the first Interstellar Exploration flight. (Planet Of The Apes)

1973 - The capsule from the first Instellar Exploration reappears mysteriously, within nearby space. It lands off the California coast, slightly north of San Clemente, and is met by mobilized US Navy Spaceflight Recovery crew. Capsule is found to be piloted by intelligent apes. (Escape From The Planet Of The Apes)

1973 - Jul 15th Destruction of the Prometheus. 28 people killed and 73 wounded.

1973 - Passing of the Zittman antirocketry bill. ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov)

1973 - Samantha Mulder is abducted, seemingly by aliens. Actually, she was taken by agents of Cigarette Smoking Man. Although one version of facts surrounding her life suggest that she was placed in a foster home, it is more likely that she was abducted and experimented on to try and make her into a human-alien hybrid. (X-Files)

1973-1978 - neo-Victorian Age, begins with outlawing of all rocket research. ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov) (With the information the apes brought, who could blame them?)

1974 - Federal Scientific Research Investigatory Bureau established by the Stonely-Carter bill. ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov)

1975 - A joint American-British-Russian mission goes to the moon. (Venture To The Moon by Arthur C Clarke)

1976 - The Strike of '76. The workers of the moving roads go on strike again. ("The Roads Must Roll" by Robert H Heinlein)

1978 - government outlaws all independent scientific research. ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov)

1978 - first manned rocket flight ("Trends" by Isaac Asimov)

late 1970s/early 80s - "Columbus" is built to go to the moon as an alien force, called The Overlords, come to earth and take over. But they allow to continue as before - within certain guidelines. (Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke)

1978 - Businessman Delos David Harriman finanaces and builds the first rocket to go to the moon. ("The Man Who Sold The Moon" by Robert H Heinlein)

1980-2000 - planetary landings, personal radio (essentially a cellphone), fusion power, exobiology, cyborgs (Profiles Of The Future by Arthur C Clarke)

1980s - 79.7 percent of the people living on Earth were under 21 years of age. (Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson)

1982 - US Robots and Mechanical Men incorporated by Lawrence Robertson (I Robot by Isaac Asimov)

1984 - The world has divided into 3 superstates, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. After WWII, England went through a civil war and Europe, North America and Russia have had an atomic war. People are constantly monitored by two-way tv's. (1984 by George Orwell)

1987 - Deep Throat says that school children are injected with cloned alien DNA in a "southern state" (although as we know they have been being injected for far longer in Delta Glen, Wisconsin). (X-Files)

late 1980s - nuclear war (V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd)

1990 - The Great Depression of 1990 (The Great Depression of 1990 by Ravi Batra)

1990s - 82.4 percent of the people living on Earth are under 21 years of age. (Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson)

1990s - Britain is under control of a fascist government (V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd)

1990s - A team of Russian geologists locates rock from the Tunguska meteorite. The rock contains an organism, probably extraterrestrial in origin, that invades human bodies. It comes to be called the "Black Cancer." Russians begin perfecting a vaccination. Eventually the Conspiracy learns of its existence and begins efforts to acquire samples of the rock and organism. (X-Files)

1990-2010 - colonizing planets, artificial intelligence (Profiles Of The Future by Arthur C Clarke)

1991 - Cats and dogs have died from The Plague. Primates became the most common household animal. They now serve as slaves for the humans. (Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes)

1993-2002 - Alien invasion using shape shifters and black goo is fought by 2 FBI agents. (The X-Files)

mid- to late-1990s - The Eugenics War where genetically enhanced supermen tried to take over the world and where 37 million may have died. (Star Trek)

1996 - Robbie, a robot, made and sold to the Westons. ("Robbie" by Isaac Asimov)

1996 - An alien object, polished and tetrahedral in shape, is found on the moon. When its force field is breached, it quits giving its signal. ("The Sentinel" by Arthur C Clarke)

1998 - NYC passes ordinance to keep robots off street between dusk and dawn. ("Robbie" by Isaac Asimov)

1998 - Lefebre-Yoshida expedition to Mars from Lunar Base. Not the first attempt. ("Robbie" by Isaac Asimov)

1998 - Anarchist, V, brings about the downfall of the British fascist government. (V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd)

1999 - All nuclear weapons, including those on the moon, are disabled. ("The Long Watch" by Robert H Hienlien)

1999 - The world's population is 7 billion and New York City's is 35 million. Most do without much electricity or water. Eating dog is common. (Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison)

1999 - Earth sends 4 missions to Mars. The first 3 being failures. The fourth mission finds the Martians killed by viruses brought by the first 3 missions. (These Martians look different than the ones that attacked us repeatedly before.) (The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)

A Planet Of The Apes timeline
A Heinlein Future History timeline
An X-Files timeline

Sunday, December 21, 2008

CULTURE/SOCIETY: "The World's Only Reliable News" On Christmas

Thank the god, we have The World Weekly News to keep us abreast of important Christmas news like the following! - OlderMusicGeek

BAT BOY SCARES MALL SANTA
Posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008
By Allie Pruitt

BALTIMORE, MD - Bat Boy’s attempts at fitting in for the holidays have again failed miserably.

A lull in the line occurred when the children heard Best Buy had just received a shipment of Rock Band 2. Bat Boy, hiding in the cover of the giant Christmas tree, saw his one chance and took it. He scurried up to Santa, shrieking with excitement, and tried to hand over his guano-covered list.

Seeing only a blur of big pointy ears and sharp teeth, the mall Santa took off at high-speed, making it to the food court before tripping over his baggy red pants and crashing head first into the Cinnabon stand.

OBAMA INVITES ALIEN CHOIR TO WHITE HOUSE
Posted on Monday, December 8th, 2008
By Samuel T. Westbrook

WASHINGTON, DC - President-Elect Obama asserted influence this weekend, advising President Bush on which holiday choir to pick for the White House - and they’re aliens!

The Qwoak Intergalactic Boys Choir, famous for their recent holiday albums “I Saw Mommy Kissing Frozen Santa Claus” and “Rudolph the Twelve Nosed Reindeer,” have been performing choral choirs around the country.

Rahm Emmanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff, was on the phone with current White House staff to get the Qwoak Intergalactic Boys Choir to be brought on as the official White House Choir this holiday season.

“The President-Elect is committed to using the White House as a platform for advancing and bettering the American culture,” Emmanuel said. “What better way to do that then by introducing Americans to the most talented artists, not just from America, not just from Earth, but the entire galaxy.”

A link to the complete article and original site

ALIENS BUY UP BLACK FRIDAY DEALS
Posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008
By Samuel T. Westbrook

CHICAGO, IL – With the economy continuing its roller-coaster ride this week, retailers are expecting a different type of crowd.

Interplanetary shoppers are anticipated to make up as much as 74% of Black Friday shoppers. Americans are tightening their belts and keeping their wallets pocketed this holiday season as bonuses are cut and lay-offs looming right around the corner.

Although big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy have not seen significant growth during the financial crisis, online retailers of those same companies, as well as Amazon.com have noted that interplanetary and intergalactic sales are booming.

“If you thought it got ugly when hundreds of mid-westerners rush around a store trying to grab up sale items, just wait until six-armed, three-headed, slime-covered 14-foot tall aliens are fighting over a Tickle-Me Elmo.”

1 Comment For This Post
1. wazntowas says:
November 29th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
OMG, the photographer in this store has to provide the location, the 2nd alien is the one that abducted my cousin and did an anal probe on him.

A link to the complete article and original site

ALIENS USING KOTA TOYS TO DESTROY EARTH
Posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008
By Samuel T. Westbrook

TOKYO, JAPAN – Just days before Christmas, evidence has been found that exposes an alien plot to destroy the Earth and enslave mankind – using toys!

The Kota, a 40-inch robotic baby triceratops, is one of the most in-demand toys this holiday season. The first robot of its kind, a dinosaur children can ride, the Kota has been flying off shelves since its recent release and demand has yet to slow.

Representatives from Playskool, the company that supposedly manufactures and distributes the Kota, have declined to comment on the emerging details regarding a possible alien invasion.

Unnamed sources have leaked details to Weekly World News that some time after Christmas, once all of the Kotas have been opened from their boxes throughout the world, a signal will alert them to “wake up.”



A link to all my Christmas posts

Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you're celebrating!
MY CHRISTMAS INTERNET RADIO STATIONS
OlderMusicGeek Radio - Christmas Edition
OlderMusicGeek Radio - Christmas Rock and Punk Edition
OlderMusicGeek's Christmas QuickMix
powered by PANDORA
But if you don't have Pandora, you can hear some of songs at http://www.playlist.com/oldermusicgeek

Blog Archive

My Blog List

My Twitter Page

My Twitter Page On Entertainment

Ask Me Anything From FormSpring.Me

MUSIC

Some Of The Lastest Songs I've Enjoyed

My Internet Radio Stations


Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones
MOVIES

Some Movies I've Seen (Or Reseen) Recently

Sorry for the funky layout. It's the only one Flixster has.

The Last 20 Movies I've Reviewed On Flixster

Sorry for the funky layout. It's the only one Flixster has.

The Movies I Want To See The Most, But Haven't Yet

Sorry for the funky layout. It's the only one Flixster has.

My Favorite Movies

Sorry for the funky layout. It's the only one Flixster has.