06.28.2015


094 - cover

This week we have one of the youngest musicians we’ve had in for our The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot, beat maestro UV Boi.

Read about him in this week’s issue of The Music (Brisbane) #094.

094 - uvboi 640

Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets, read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane or download the new app for iTunes and Android.


093 - cover

Ninth of May, are in for our The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot this week to promote their delicious new single, Ramen!

Read about them in this week’s issue of The Music (Brisbane) #093.

093 - ninth of may 640

Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets, read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane or download the new app for iTunes and Android.

DSC_0465-2

The Osaka Aquarium is located on Osaka bay and is near Cosmo Square, the Tempozan Ferris wheel and a short ferry ride from Universal Studios so you could easily spend days in this area, or just one well planned one. Ok, maybe not all of them, we left off Cosmo square :p

Being a major attraction, getting there from just about anywhere is quite simple, take the Chuo line and let the signage guide you. We caught the Captain Line ferry (takes about 15min) from Universal Studios which is almost door to door, handy!

DSC_0463-1 DSC_0626-36 DSC_0609-33 DSC_0605-32

DSC_0591-30

DSC_0587-29

DSC_0580-26 DSC_0569-23 DSC_0566-22 DSC_0538-15

DSC_0524-12

DSC_0518-11 DSC_0517-10 DSC_0508-9 DSC_0474-3

DSC_0542-16

The aquarium costs about $25AU and is open till 8pm (times may vary) making it a good last stop if you have other things to do earlier in the day. In fact, later in the afternoon seemed to be rather quiet, no lining up for anything and only the odd shuffle around a couple slow moving tour groups.

DSC_0753-66

DSC_0740-64

DSC_0747-65 DSC_0736-63 DSC_0734-62 DSC_0717-59

DSC_0711-57 DSC_0708-56 DSC_0707-55 DSC_0689-54

DSC_0675-49

DSC_0685-52 DSC_0663-45 DSC_0656-44

DSC_0655-43

DSC_0649-42

DSC_0643-41 DSC_0642-40 DSC_0780-74

DSC_0778-73

DSC_0767-71 DSC_0761-68 DSC_0760-67

The theme of the venue is to encompass all of the different regions around the Pacific Rim (no, not with giant mecha) with many enclosures representing each area and some of the animals that inhabit them. The viewing actually begins at the top on the 8th floor where it spirals down through tanks and enclosures feature aquatic life, fish, manta rays, crabs and other weird looking bottom dwellers along with everyone’s favourites, penguins and seals.

Aquariums are always good for a visit, you get to see creatures big and small effortlessly glide through the water around you but a lot of the time the scale of the animals and their surroundings is lost when viewing through a small window, enter the 10m deep tank with a foot thick of Perspex all the way around! This centerpiece represents the Pacific Ocean and houses a city bus sized crowning jewel, the whale shark.

DSC_0808-78

DSC_0962-109 DSC_0957-108 DSC_0956-107 DSC_0955-106

DSC_0910-95

DSC_0952-105 DSC_0950-104 DSC_0949-103 DSC_0943-102

DSC_0903-93

DSC_0906-94

DSC_0914-99 DSC_0890-89 DSC_0888-88 DSC_0883-87

DSC_0896-91

DSC_0900-92

DSC_0861-84 DSC_0827-81 DSC_0818-80

DSC_0895-90

DSC_0830-82

Other smaller tanks cross between floors which give plenty of few spots from different perspectives and the idea of the different layers in an ocean environment.

Smaller rooms on the lower level house a large assortment of jelly fish for you to get lost in a lava lamp trance. On the way to the gift shop there’s a hands on section where you can get up close and very personal with a selection of fish and manta rays which vary from slippery soap to “cat’s tongue” in texture. Alot of fun and definitely something the kids would go nuts over. No need to worry about germs, there’s wash stations nearby. There’s also a partially closed off penguin enclosure for you to talk posh with your tuxedo wearing buddies 😀

DSC_0966-110

DSC_1042-131

DSC_1039-130 DSC_1038-129 DSC_1025-125 DSC_1015-123

DSC_1034-128

DSC_1029-127

DSC_1007-122 DSC_1004-120 DSC_0998-115

DSC_0991-1 DSC_0968-111

DSC_1000-117

DSC_0992-Edit-1

DSC_0971-112

Travel tip: speaking of kids, there are also a bunch of rubber ink stamps through out the venue which they can collect by stamping their books. Maybe get them a travel notepad so they don’t get any ideas with their passports should they be in possession theirs!

Photo tip: lighting is very dim throughout the venue, not just in the tanks so a fast mid range zoom is in order and don’t be afraid to push the iso to keep your shutter speed up, and as you can see by our bumper gallery there is HEAPS to photograph!

DSC_1047-132

DSC_1145-153

DSC_1147-154 DSC_1134-1 DSC_1122-147 DSC_1118-145

DSC_1121-146

DSC_1114-144 DSC_1102-2 DSC_1100-141

DSC_1105-143

DSC_1075-139

DSC_1080-140 DSC_1059-136

DSC_1051-135

DSC_1050-134

DSC_1132-149

DSC_1125-148


Tempozan Ferris Wheel

Behind the aquarium is a small shopping mall with a food court and several restaurants, only the larger stores/restaurants stay open later for dinner but in true Japanese courtesy, if you catch one as they’re closing they’ll still be more than happy to fire up the stove for you.

A short walk further is the Tempozan Wheel, it is quite sizeable as one of the largest in Japan giving decent views of the bay area and should be more than romantic enough to get you to first base 😉 (just watch out for the random pedo bear )-:} ). The coloured lights on the outside of the forecast the weather for the following day (orange – clear, green – cloudy, blue – rain) which is handy, although not entirely accurate with an orange reading when the following day was all drizzle!

DSC_1151-156 DSC_1162-158 DSC_1155-157

DSC_1179-160

If you have any questions on our travels, where to buy, what to do, hit us up on our Soulbridge media facebook page.

Japan 2013 part #1 – Arrival
Japan 2013 part #2 – Tokyo International Toy Expo
Japan 2013 part #3 – Gotemba – Premium Outlets mall
Japan 2013 part #4 – Tokyo – Studio Ghibli Museum
Japan 2013 part #5 – Tokyo – Kichijoji and Nakano
Japan 2013 part #6 – Tokyo – Akihabara
Japan 2013 part #7 – Tokyo – Tamiya HQ, Diver City
Japan 2013 part #8 – Yokohama – Zoorasia
Japan 2013 part #9 – Yokohama – Ramen Museum
Japan 2013 part #10 – Nissan HQ and Yokohama
Japan 2013 part #11 – Osaka – Nanba Shopping
Japan 2013 part #12 – Kyoto
Japan 2013 part #13 – Tokyo – Harajuku, Shibuya
Japan 2013 part #14 – Osaka castle, Umeda Sky building
Japan 2013 part #15 – Osaka Aquarium and Tempozan wheel
Japan 2013 part #16 – Osaka Universal Studios

06.13.2015


092 - cover

Fox & Fowl, sworn enemies in nature but as a band they get along swimmingly… well, enough to step in for our The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot this week anyway!

Read about them in this week’s issue of The Music (Brisbane) #092.

092 - fox and fowl 640

Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets, read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane or download the new app for iTunes and Android.

Two of our good friends, essentially “The cat” and “The bat” on the day, were married long before James popped the question. This day was more of a formality to make it official as they are pretty much two peas in a pod with excellent taste in cars and footwear 😉

Congrats to the couple and all the best for their honeymoon trip to Japan later in the year!

Venue: Bundaleer Rainforest Gardens

Here are a bunch of our faves from the day…

DSC_7382-55

DSC_7240-29

DSC_7176-5

DSC_7192-9

DSC_7155-1 DSC_4119-27

DSC_4070-15

DSC_4109-23

DSC_4103-22

DSC_4038-7

DSC_7305-41

DSC_7280-38 DSC_7278-37 DSC_7276-36 DSC_7206-19

DSC_7264-32

DSC_7244-30

DSC_7393-58 DSC_7365-52 DSC_7318-44 DSC_7309-43

DSC_7361-51

DSC_7306-42

DSC_7667-86 DSC_7574-77 DSC_7502-73 DSC_7495-71

DSC_7481-67 DSC_7447-62 DSC_7445-61 DSC_7415-59

DSC_7432-60

DSC_7383-56

DSC_4195-1

DSC_4155-69

DSC_4463-116 DSC_4451-115 DSC_4416-111 DSC_4414-110

DSC_4447-114

DSC_4432-113

DSC_4412-109 DSC_4408-108 DSC_4400-107 DSC_4398-106

DSC_4389-105 DSC_4378-103 DSC_4368-102 DSC_4330-99

DSC_4262-89

DSC_4327-98 DSC_4325-97 DSC_4316-96 DSC_4312-95

DSC_4292-94 DSC_4289-93 DSC_4276-91 DSC_4248-88

DSC_4233-87 DSC_4211-78 DSC_7680-92

DSC_4345-100

06.10.2015

Not so long ago we did a write up for the G-Street gang with a run down of basic cleaning, like any publication they did their own edit so in case you missed it, here’s the “directors cut” in its entirety.

DSC_4963-8


G Shock Cleaning part 1 – Basic cleaning

There are 3 basic schools of thought when it comes to how G’s are treated. 1. Keep ‘em clean 2. Treat ‘em mean 3. Stay fly and multiply.
For team number 2, G’s are bought and worn for their intended life purpose, to be beaten like a rented mule. Dirt, grime and battle scars are worn proudly like the ears of their slain on a necklace, Universal Solider style… much to the dismay of others who have to handle the watch with tongs if its left on a bench.
Those in the number 3 camp, and lets face it, its who we are or at least are aspiring to, have enough G’s in our collections to disperse a week’s worth of dirt over 7 watches (or more) so it can take a lot longer for them to accumulate the same amount of wear, but it will happen eventually. So for the benefit of longevity, comfort of wear and housemates/GF’s/wives everywhere a bit of regular cleaning goes a long way.

>>These tips are by no means the be all and end all, these are what have worked for me over the years, however with the variety of models, textures and finishes, your mileage may vary.

Why clean?
Dirt and grime attracts more dirt and grime and over time the salts and acidity from sweat can deteriorate the resin and affect the finish. Sweat and water can also collect in these areas, which if near small metal parts like screws, pins or pin springs, can rust or seize them. Comfort is the other main reason, coarse particles or other residue can lead to skin irritations. While much rarer, some functionality can also be lost like the ease of pressing buttons or the ability to charge a solar model.

Know thy enemy – Common culprits:
A1. Scuffs and markings – Shows as darker or shinier mark, common when bumped on hard surfaces or grazed during regular wear. Appears mostly on corners and edges of non-glossy resin.
A2. Dirt and grime – usually a combination of dust or dirt with sweat oils and water to get a lovely toe jam paste which forms around pins, casebacks, buckles, raise or embossed sections, where the band meets the case on the underside etc. Grime can also appear as a discoloured coating with an uneven texture. (see fig 1a, 1b)
A3. Salt/sweat/chlorine residue – shows up on darker coloured resin as crusty white marks, a bit like a high tide line, you’ve probably seen the same marks on the brim or front of your regularly worn cap. Just like the high tide line, these marks appear where it -was-, not where it –is- so its not uncommon to see them on the top surface of the band and lug area where the band meets the bezel. Can also collect in embossed areas and buckle holes (see fig 2 and 3)
A4. Paint – paint splatter from work or an out of control custom or taking on a wall or door jamb with the G emerging victorious, taking a souvenir with it.
A5. Welding splatter – ok maybe not so common but a special note for those welders out there frivolously melting resin left and right… just go with stainless steel and spare me the heart ache. Please.
(This one goes out to Ben who’s done himself a right mischief, get well soon buddy!)

Actung Baby – Warning
If your resin still looks new, then don’t go gung ho and try to clean it for no good reason. Use passive methods only, running water, light sponging etc. anything abrasive can and will mark the resin, this includes tissues and cotton tips if the right kind of pressure is applied, it may be very light and only visible on certain angles but spare the elbow grease for your beaters. Persist with the least abrasive methods ie. Soap, sponge, warm water, where ever possible.

Clean up your act (for matte resin)

DSCN3639-7

1. Rub one out – Erasers (for A1 above) – This, at best, is a temporary fix with only a medium success rate depending on the scuff but its always worth a try since its simple and non-damaging. Take a regular pencil eraser and rub it on the smoothed or marked spots. Far from a new to old restoration but it will dull some spots and bring back a bit of that out of the box velvety look. For tight spots use the small eraser on top of a Pacer. (see fig 4)

2. At the car wash – Soap, dish detergent (for A2, A3) – This is the quickest and easiest way most will say to keep your G clean. Multitask while in the shower or create a weekly/monthly bath time ritual. Use a soft sponge to lather and lightly scrub stubborn areas. Make sure you rinse and dry it well afterwards, soap/detergent build up isn’t much better than the grime itself. Use a cotton tip to get around edges and into crevices and buckle holes.

3. Mum’s the word (for A2, A3 above) – Mum’s know a thing or two about cleaning so its no surprise some of their go-to’s work as well.
Toothpaste – has a fine abrasive which can help move some stubborn marks with the help of a fine toothbrush also leaves dank straps smelling minty fresh. You can also use it as a polish for restoring shagged crystals (glass on the case). I have not needed to do this yet but there are plenty of folks who champion it.
Vinegar – add a generous splash to a bowl of warm water and wipe/sponge over. Use a cotton tip dipped in it for detailed areas. Rinse thoroughly then give it a soap bath (as above).

4. Chemical brothers – Isopro and Acetone (for A4 above) – Like taking off your shirt to eat, things are getting serious if you’re breaking out the solvents.
For stubborn salty marks or stains Isopropyl (or Isopro) can help. Its an alcohol based solvent commonly used to clean electronic equipment and whiteboards. You may have come across it in the form of Isocol (green bottle with an alligator). If you had zits at school or got a graze you probably dabbed a bit on it, which burnt like all buggery.
While mostly mild to resin it still has some corrosive properties and can take the finish or many surfaces if you get carried away, so start with a lightly damp (not wet) cotton tip on the underside of the band to test it.
Acetone – basically nail polish remover, will have no problem stripping most oil based paints and clear coats on resin. So take extra care! But if you’re reaching for this its most likely to remove paint, and if you’re painting you’d probably already know how to use it. If not, same as with the Isopro, use very sparingly with a barely damp cotton tip. If it is to remove paint splatter take as much care as possible to very lightly wipe the paint but not the resin. Let the acetone do the work, not the scrubbing action.
For thick dried splatters, try scratching it off with a fingernail or toothpick first, take care not to over to it and have your nail/toothpick skid off and mark the resin. If the paint is still wet, try dabbing it off instead of smearing it.
If however you’re stripping colour or the clear coat for a custom, then go to town with it, just don’t scrub too hard as marks will be left in the resin which will show up after the dye job.

You can also use this method to remove the clear glossy coat from jelly resin to leave a matte finish since the colour is in the resin, not the paint coat.

Some of the cleaning arsenal:
DSCN3615-6 DSCN3641-9

Dem Feels – Glossy and Textured resin
The above is ideally for plain matte resin. Anything with a gloss, satin, textured or printed finish, take extra care and caution. Personally I’d stick with soap and water where ever possible.

If you’re particularly concerned about trying to keep your new resin as pimping as possible, choosing a model with a glossy finish will help repel dirt and grime very well. The trade off however, once the clear coat gets worn down to the base coat it looks rather rubbish and without this protective coating, wear occurs much quicker down to the bare resin. Of course the other trade off is you’ll have to wear glossy resin which could be a tough pill to swallow for some.

DSCN3668-10

Common sense and care
Use it. The above processes are all reasonably straight forward but if you’re in any doubt or get carried away, I nor G-Street can be accountable, but if you think about it, you’ll have a new beater and a reason to buy a new G so that’s not really that bad is it? 😉

Stay tuned for part 2 – Advanced cleaning and resin removal.


>>Special thanks to Troy for the loan of his PRG3000 Protrek (not that he had a choice since it was already in my possession 😉 ) for this article since I couldn’t find a G dirty enough!

Fig 1 (a). – Grime isn’t always very noticeable and is usually only visible under certain angles. Here you can see a broad coating around the “PR” and localised build up around the raised lettering especially around the “TR”.

DSCN3575-2

 

Fig 1 (b). – Slightly different angle shows more of the coating

DSCN3592-3

Fig 2. – Sweat salts and the like collecting in the embossed area on the band

DSCN3569-1

Fig 3. – Sweat salts and the like collecting in the buckle holes

DSCN3595-4
Fig. 4 – Normally for grime its better to use warm soapy water and a sponge but here is an example of the eraser technique, note the visible difference around the K.

DSCN3607-5

If you have any questions about the processes in this article, want to talk about G’s in general or just geek out with some toy talk head on over to The G Collective – a closed group we have created with a couple buddies to do just that (:


091 - cover

A basker is actually a kind of beret, I found that out this week so that would mean we have a bunch of smooth criminals with a name like Baskervillain in for our The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot….or are they? :p

Read about them in this week’s issue of The Music (Brisbane) #091.

091 - baskervillain 640

Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets, read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane or download the new app for iTunes and Android.