Chronicles On The Fly

Simon was recently a guest on The Gentleman Ultra Podcast as part of the "3 World Cup Questions" series to discuss his favourite moments, matches and teams in World Cup history.

Comedian Anthony Locascio is going on an Australian tour. We discuss the Will Smith Oscars slap, Italy missing the World Cup again, Ukraine, Shane Warne, and much more!

Soccer, comedy and culture with special guest Anthony Locascio

We're a couple weeks late to publish this episode, but it was recorded on September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

It's a robust family affair with listener Karl. He's Mel and Dom's cousin and a keen listener of the Chronicles, and he's lucky enough to get his mug on camera in this 4-way free-for-all to discuss accusations leveled at Australia's Attorney General, Christian Porter, Joe Biden's mental state and U.S. politics, The Sopranos, funny movies, and Karl's favourite topic: conspiracies.

We discuss Eddie McGuire being forced to step down as the president of the Collingwood Football Club, Tom Brady winning his 7th Superbowl, GOAT of world sports discussion, and Bruce Springsteen's ad for Jeep about unifying America during the Superbowl halftime break.

Perth, our little self-isolated town at the bottom of the world has caught a curious case of the COVIDS, and we're coming to you from lockdown. The shorting of the GameStop shares and the battle between Wall St hedge fund players and Reddit consumer investors. Dom gives a thorough explanation of what shorting is. Lionel's Messi contract leak saga. And then we laugh out loud while discussing the Operation Odessa documentary.

An action-packed episode and one of our best yet. A robust conversation about the "insurrection" of the Capitol building in Washington D.C. We ask whether Trump incited it, what they hoped to achieve and what they actually achieved. Also, big tech censorship and freedom of speech with DonalD Trump banned from social media! And the Parler app being banned from the Google and Apple app stores and being kicked off Amazon's web servers.

Paolo Rossi, the goalscoring star of the Italian 1982 World Cup winning team in Spain has died. We celebrate the legend of "Pablito". We also discuss an AFL draft nominee telling the media that he didn't want to be drafted outside of Victoria. Did Mercedes purposely throw away a Formula 1 victory? Our fearful WA Premier. Have you downloaded the SafeWA app? Millwall FC fans boo their own team.. Are sport fans tired of being lectured to?

On the morning of November 26th, 2020, in Australia we woke up to the shocking news that the great Diego Armando Maradona had died. In this episode of Chronicles On The Fly, Simon, Mel & Dom pay tribute to Maradona with our thoughts and memories of the greatest footballer and sportsman of all time.

A US election special from a couple Aussies... Is it Sleepy Joe & Kommunist Kamala, or will we have 4 more years of Donnie's Diplomacy & Presidential Tweets? Republicans claim the election was rigged. Trump is challenging the election result. Was there voter fraud? Can it be proven?

Novak Djokovic tossed out of the US Open for accidentally hitting a stray ball into a linesperson, and are sports stars role models? Cheating in football; Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup hand of God goal, and where the win-at-all-costs mentality comes from. VAR reviews in football and poor ARC review technology in AFL.

The AFL Grand Final goes north to Brisvegas. The AFL strip club scandal. Netflix and Amazon Video football documentaries. The West Australian newspaper is a tabloid rag and how long do newspapers have left? We discuss music streaming services such as Spotify, YouTube Music and Amazon Music. Then we go down a huge rabbit hole of interesting conspiracy theories.

Inter Milan lost the Europa League final to Sevilla, and a preview of the European Champions League final. We talk Biden v Trump in the coming U.S. presidential election. The Australian's satirical cartoon depicting Biden as racist. Plandemic documentary. Should false information be censored by major online platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram? Valentino Rossi's miraculous near-miss and near-death experience.

Snippet from Chronicles On The Fly episode 15: "Doin` The Dickie Wackin`". We discuss the flaws and biases in the anecdotal evidence and studies that are being referenced and falsely cited as facts in the debate over whether hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for COVID-19. In short: nothing is proven yet. Listen to find out why. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

Snippet from Chronicles On The Fly episode 15: "Doin` The Dickie Wackin`". Mel & Simon discuss and have a chuckle about the Richmond Football Club in the AFL incorporating some man love in their team song at the end of a win, and the PC mob being up in arms because it's their right to be offended on behalf of humanity. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

We're back after a brief hiatus and get in to the COVID-19 issues: masks, Victoria's lockdown, the hydroxychloroquine debate, and Big Brother spying on us to make sure we don't get too close. We also discuss the explosion in the port of Beirut and American mob stories. Simon then introduces us to Scott, who he became friends with through a common love of the music of Bruce Springsteen. Scott has written an inspiring book, "Head Strong: How a Broken Neck Strengthened My Spirit", about his amazing life story so far. Watch Scott's story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ng6Q_Oxad4 and get his book here: https://www.scottwfedor.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

This week we discuss the ridiculous controversy about the name of Western Australian boutique brewery, Colonial Brewing Co, and head down a minefield of related issues brought about by the latest woke mob nonsense in Australia, all while chugging down cans of, you guessed it... Colonial Brewing Co beers! Also on the menu is The Death of the Aussie Larrikin, Kingswood Country, political correctness and cancel culture in media and society. And we give the last word to the legendary John Cleese. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

Made in America... this week's episode title says it all for this week's discussion between Simon & Mel, with the craziness going on in the United States. We stole it from the name of the final episode of The Sopranos which we've previously discussed. We're talking about the protests and riots in America stemming from the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the responses from Trump and Biden, police brutality, as well as the false narrative being told by left leaning mainstream media organisations. We also discuss the social media rant by Candace Owens who brought up some eye-opening statistics to demonstrate that things may not be quite what the media would have you believe. We touch on the SpaceX launch to the International Space Station and the 76th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy during World War II. We also have an interesting conversation where Mel gives his extensive insight into gun laws in Australia, particularly in Western Australia, and what the requirements are to purchase, own, store and use a firearm in WA. And we end with the brilliant mind of British writer and philosopher, Alan Watts: "You are Eternal the Universe". [DISCLAIMER]: We had some minor audio issues this week, which Simon has used his audio editing genius to try to remedy. So our apologies for the ever-so-slightly poorer quality sound at some points of this episode (it's not that bad!). Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

In this snippet from Episode 12 of Chronicles On The Fly, "The Defining Moment": Simon & Mel have been following Netflix's "The Last Dance" docuseries, and here Simon breaks down the last magical play by Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals Game 6 where Chicago Bulls clinched their 6th NBA championship and their second three-peat. This was a defining moment in the career of one of the greatest athletes in sports history. See the video clip from the podcast episode on our Chronicles On The Fly Podcast Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly/videos/657604081485651.

This week we begin by discussing the inevitable... 'The Last Dance' finale. Simon isn't impressed about the lack of coverage for Perth's own 3-time NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls, Luc Longley, but has a right rave about Michael Jordan's defining moment at the end of game 6 against Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. Guided by Mel's beer-top questionnaire, we put together our all-time greatest Australian Cricket team. Simon has a rant about WA Police spending their time and taxpayers' money on the latest viral social media dance craze. Mel is unhappy about the state border enforcement during COVID-19 and the state Premiers bickering. We discuss China's political response to Australia and other countries, and Mel has some good advice for the Australian manufacturing and export market. And we end the episode with the great MJ. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

We're late with this week's podcast, and get in to this one with a catch up on episodes 7 & 8 of the brilliant Netflix documentary series "The Last Dance" about the Chicago Bulls 1990s dynasty. We find out about Mel's love of shoes. Some discussion on the latest COVID-19 happenings as well as protests in Melbourne and the United States. AFL is set to restart, and Mel has a rant about his love (read: hate) for Richmond FC. And we end the episode with the awesome intro of the Chicago Bulls team before the 1996 NBA Finals Game 6, which saw the Bulls earn their 4th NBA title and the first title after Michael Jordan's comeback to basketball. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ChroniclesOTF

To start off the episode, Simon has had a fight with a cup of coffee and lost. We check in on Western Australia's COVID-19 stats. Mel has a gripe with billionaires. We talk Trump and bleach. The AFL restart... will it, won't it happen? An update on our businesses during this uncertain period and other business talk. We discuss a couple bucket list events. We catch up on the latest episodes of the Chicago Bulls Netflix documentary series "The Last Dance". Mel recaps season 1 of The Sopranos, now that he is addicted to it, and Simon raves about Ricky Gervais' Netflix show "After Life". And we finish with one of the greatest commentaries in the history of world sport. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod

From Episode 8, "Honour The Dead But Fight Like Hell For The Living", in which we honour our ANZACS, Simon & Mel discuss the resilience of past generations who endured hardships that we can only imagine and what ANZAC day means. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod

On this ANZAC Day COTF episode, named after the motto of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, we open with The Last Post and discuss our thoughts on the day, the Vietnam War, war films and documentaries, including 'Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan'. The AFL coaches doing TikTok dances cop a serve. We discuss the new Michael Jordan / Chicago Bulls documentary on Netflix, 'The Last Dance', as well as the greats of NBA. We also talk about Italy's run at the 1994 Word Cup in the USA after Simon rewatched the Italy vs Nigeria 2nd round match. Also on our TV screen this week was the West Coast Eagles vs Port Adelaide elimination final from 2017. Some billionaires are more equal than others. We heap praise (read: scorn) on our favourite ABC Chief Economics Correspondent who doesn't want us to talk about the economy. And we finish with a very poignant tune about the PTSD that Vietnam Veterans experienced on their return from that terrible conflict: Redgum's 'I Was Only 19' with an intro from singer John Schumann. #LestWeForget Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod

From Episode 5 of Chronicles On The Fly, "The Arsonist is Holding the Firehose": Simon & Mel discuss attending the Australia vs Italy round of 16 match at the 2006 World Cup in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and the controversial ending to the match. Spoiler Alert: It wasn't controversial to us!

On the Fly this week... Mel opens the show with a funny expletive-laden rant about... something... and he has finally watched the first episode of The Sopranos so we go into some detail about the first and last episodes, as well as The Godfather, and movies made in 1994. We also discuss Italian-Americans vs Italian-Australians, holiday destinations, our favourite sitcoms (especially Seinfeld), business' reaction to COVID-19, and AFL Hubs. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chroniclesontheflypod

Simon & Mel zoom in on COVID-19: The Government stimulus; small business reaction; the similarities with what we're seeing and the film 'Contagion'; #CoronaHoax and other conspiracies including Bill Gates' plan for world domination with digital IDs and Event 201 which was a pandemic simulation held in October 2019; singers performing on webcam for their fans; the eeriness of shopping centres; the closure of state borders and governments using the opportunity to seize extra powers; not accepting "the new normal"; the Ben Cousins documentary debacle on Channel 7; what might happen with what remains of the AFL season and with club membership fees; FIFA corruption in awarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups; and we reminisce on some of our sporting event travels including Mel's honeymoon trip to see the Yankees and our trip together to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, including the Australia vs Italy match, the Italy vs Germany semi-final, and the Italy vs France final in Berlin; our passion for Italian football; 'The Test' series on Amazon Prime and the Australian cricket team. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly

We're practising physical distancing and zooming in to discuss... to everyone's surprise!... the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and how it is playing havoc with life as we have always known it. Were the conspiracy theorists on to something? Are we seeing examples of government overreach in restricting our lives, our movement, and purchases? Is it necessary, and will those powers be retracted once the pandemic dies down or will this become more common in a changing society? Comparing what we're seeing with the United States' reaction after 9/11 (we promise, this is not a conspiracy podcast!). Will we be in lockdown soon and do we really need it here? Disgraceful behavior by Qantas backstabbing its Australian workforce. Some praise for the politicians dealing with such a difficult situation. Simon shares past experience of toxic workplace culture. How business owners can respond and innovate in a slowing down of the economy and what they can be doing to work ON their business if they can't operate as normal, including getting their web and social media channels sorted, the potential for remote working to become much more common in future, as well as how to maintain the human interaction and social element of remote working. Somewhere in there we discuss the AFL's shutdown, and probably more stuff but you have to listen to find out! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly

Simon & Mel practice social distancing to discuss... what else?... the current worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Conspiracy theories (not ours) about why it has occurred. Herd mentality and FOMO... Yes, the toilet paper panic. American politics, Trump, and the Democratic primary farce. The AFL's response to the situation and is the AFL a leader in the community? Perth Wildcats winning the NBL championship. The effect of the coronavirus on businesses (including ours), and the response by banks. Plus much more. Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly

Simon and Mel discuss: A bit more about us, dumbed down TV dads, the great Perth storm of 2020, the Perth zombie apocalypse, the NBN debacle, The Australian Dream documentary, Mack Horton pool and Margaret Court Arena, wheelchair tennis tournament prize money, and the Houston Astros baseball 'cheating' scandal.

2 mates sit around shooting the breeze about the things that interest us. In our first episode we cover: The demise of the Holden brand in Australia, AFL, State of Origin footy, AFLW, Formula 1, Cricket, Champions League Football, NBA, Kobe & Gianna Bryant, Michael Jordan, films, the Camp Hill QLD tragedy and tabloid media. LIKE our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOnTheFly Intro & Outro music credit: Thanks to our mate John and his guitar wizard son Michael for recording the awesome riff!