WOMEN'S WORLD CUP, SHOHEI AND CALVIN

The Women's World Cup begins play next Wednesday, July 19 in Auckland, New Zealand, with the home team playing Norway.  There are four games on Thursday, two in NZ and two in Sydney, Australia.  The USA-Vietnam match will beam from Auckland at 3PM.  All games on FOX and FS1.  Timing could be a problem, for 3PM Auckland on Friday is 11PM Thursday in New York.  But 5PM Thursday in Hawaii, so perfect.

You will see USWNT a lot, standing for the United States Women's National Team.  I won't even go into ICYMI, but can cite this FIFA Women's World Cup, where FIFA is the acronym for Fédération  Internationale de Football Association.  This only started with 7 teams in 1970 when Italy hosted and Denmark won.  FIFA began to run it from 1991, held in China.  The USA has won four times, including the previous Cup in 2019 from France, and also the 2015 games in Canada.

USA women are +225 favorites, meaning we have a 31% chance of winning.  England is +375 (21%), followed by Germany, Spain and France.  Japan was once a power, but this time is at +3000 (3%).  Panama and the Philippines are at the bottom with a 0.1% chance of winning.

12% of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup from Australia and New Zealand are LGBTQ+.  The world has changed, and being so is okay today.  87 women are gay+ among the 22 teams in the Cup this year.  The number is higher, for there remain regions of the world where you cannot say what you are.  32% of male Broadway actors are too, as are around 50% of male flight stewards.  Someday soon I'll be posting on this subject.  This group is more and more beginning to make a difference in political races, for only a one or two percentage margin can affect close races.  Republicans will further now be in trouble on 5November2024.  Below, Marta (Brazil), Sam Kerr (Australia) and Megan Rapinoe (USA) are LGBTQ+.

Major League Baseball awaits the future of Shohei Ohtani.  There are 2.5 weeks left before the trade deadline, and any contender who gets him will automatically be favored to win the World Series.  The Los Angeles Angles lost Mike Trout for the season, and  Ohtani too will go after the season ends, so why not get something in return now for the future?  First billion dollar pro?  The more likely number is half that, but he is the best baseball player in all of history.

I'll end with Ida Pieracci, a role model golfer.

That was in 2015.  She passed away in 2021 at the age of 107.

Hurricane Calvin has strengthened into a Category 3 at 120 MPH, but is expected to weaken before bringing rain to Hawaii on Tuesday and Wednesday.  But you never know.  Be prepared.

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