The Judiciary committee has voted to pass the Kavanaugh nomination to the full senate.  That was expected given that the GOP has no desire to do a full investigation on the allegations.  I didn't think yesterday's hearing was going to change anything.  I think most people believe that Ford was truthful.  But given no investigation, no other witness called, there was no way to prove Kavanaugh was guilty.  I will admit that in a criminal trial, there is reasonable doubt and so the verdict would be not guilty.  But I think in most people's mind there is reasonable doubt about Kavanaugh's innocence.  I mean, if I see these allegations against him, I would never hire him.

Besides the allegations, I also have a less opinion of Kavanaugh after the hearing yesterday.  I can understand him being angry and feel that he must fight back strongly to keep his nomination going.  After all, it worked for Thomas.  As a white guy, Kavanaugh cannot call this a lynching.  But his opening statement could have been written by Trump.  Basically he was Trump light yesterday.  If nothing else he was playing to Trump and Trump's base.  But for me, he was unnecessary belligerent.  Like when he answered questions about his drinking, he attacked the senator by asking if she drinks and if she gets drunk.  To me, it shows he was losing his composure.  And even if can prove the senator drinks heavily, it does not absolve him of his own heavy drinking.  He kept referring to his accomplishments in academics and athletics.  Again, this just shows arrogance and does not prove anything.  People with great accomplishments have, after all, being proven to be sexual predators.

While being Trump light yesterday, it also shows that the Democrats are right in opposing him with the utmost vigor.  By saying this was all planned by Democrats as revenge for the Clintons and the 2016 election, he becomes another mouthpiece for Trump.  Do you think now there is anyway that a case involving Democrats will get a fair hearing from him on the Supreme Court?  It is one thing to believe that he is an extreme right winger, but his remarks yesterday removed all doubt.

I spoke too soon about Trump not attacking the alleged victim.  He just could not help himself despite everyone around him telling him to cool it so as not give the Democrats more ammunition with the midterms coming up.  So it looks like Ford will testify on Thursday.  But the odds are still in Kavanaugh's favor despite a second accuser has come forward.  That accuser is not asked to testify, nor will any other witness be called.  The GOP is also using a female attorney to question Ford so as to not look like a bunch of old white men are bullying her.  I can understand the GOP accusing the Democrats of delay tactics.  But the Republicans are hypocrites.   They delayed and refused to vote on Obama's nominee even though there were several months to election.  So they are now accusing the Democrats trying to delay past midterm election in 6 weeks?  It is just like they said that the Mueller investigation has gone on too long.  But the Mueller investigation is way shorter so far than the GOP led investigation of Benghazi and Whitewater. 

Trump gave a speech in the UN today where he said that his administration has accomplished more in two years than any other American administration.  Yes, he said it with a straight face.  There was laughter from the audience full of world leaders.  Ironically, Trump has said in the past that other countries were laughing at America during the Obama era.  He promised that they will not be laughing at us when he is president.  Well, Donald, they are not laughing at us anymore like you promised.  They are laughing at YOU!

Watched the favorite show of LBOAYM last night.  Didn't find anyone interesting enough for me to root for.  I was surprised to see that the model Ren was really good.  Models have been terrible in the past.  As usual a football player emerged as one of the favorites.  But I think the Argentinian actor potentially is the best but I don't think he can win since I don't think many people know him.  The bachelor guy was one of the worst in recent seasons.  I don't think he was trying.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing is temporarily derailed as the Senate committee has scheduled a hearing on Monday.  That means the vote, which was expected in a couple of days, will not take place for now.  The GOP is going to try to make it a "he said, she said" situation that if there is no third party collaboration, the confirmation will take place.  The end result will be similar to the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill saga.  I do think that instead of a 99% chance of confirmation before this accusation came out, the chance of confirmation is now 75%.  There is a more chance that the two GOP women moderates will vote no if the accuser is credible on the witness stand.  So Kavanaugh will have to sweat more in the coming weeks.

I understand Kavanaugh, as a conservative, will not want to answer about Roe v Wade during the confirmation hearings.  But what is disappointing is that when asked, he refused to answer whether the Supreme Court made the right decision in not overturning the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  The constitutionality of the act was upheld by the Supreme Court in Chae Chan Ping v United States (1889).  I don't think that it is controversial to say that the Chinese were discriminated against by the act.  Of course, to say the right thing would have meant that Kavanaugh is disagreeing with Trump that a race or a religion can be discriminated against.  I think this puts Kavanaugh's impartiality into question.

Went to see "Crazy Rich Asians" today.  Maybe the last Asian American to have watched the movie?  I am not a big fan of romantic comedies usually.  But I really enjoyed the movie.  I can see why it is given a 93 by Rotten Tomatoes.  I guess that the all Asian cast was a plus.  Although I wonder how come the father of the main guy was not featured in the movie?  They can't find a 60 plus years old Asian man to be in the movie?  I could certainly have filled the role of an old curmudgeon! 

Trump used to like Bob Woodward.  Or at least he said nice things about him.  Not any more!  I don't think Woodward's book nor the op-ed in the NYT make much difference in this time of polarization in the country.  But it must seem appropriate that Woodward, who helped bring down Nixon, is at it again here!

Naomi Osaka's victory brings to forefront the notion of Japanese identity.  As in many Asian nations, biracial kids are discriminated against in Japan.  Changes have been coming but slowly.  With Osaka's humility and calmness in victory (some Japanese call it the Japanese way), it may make changes in Japan and elsewhere come quicker.

The Justice department is coming down on the side of Asian Americans who are suing Harvard for racial discrimination.  Of course, Jeff Sessions and others in the Trump administration do not really care if Asian Americans are discriminated against in elite colleges.  It is just that this issue is splitting Asian Americans into two camps:  one on the side of those against affirmative action and the other for affirmative action.  It is obvious which side Sessions and Trump are on.

I believe that connecting race with affirmative action is not a good idea.  I think if you say affirmative action is aimed for the benefit of disadvantaged students regardless of color, it would be more acceptable and fair.  A child of a black doctor who went to a private school should not get extra points over a white child who went to a poor school.  If you use socio-economic status as a yard stick, you would get more underrepresented minorities accepted without using the word race.  In California, since affirmative action was banned at the ballot box, underrepresented minorities actually have increased at UCLA and UC San Diego, two of the top schools in the system.  There has been a more concerted effort to recruit and retain disadvantaged students without specifying race.  And that has worked for those two schools.

I think where Harvard gets into trouble is that it gives extra weigh to alumni kids who are mostly white and athletes who are also mostly white.  There is no question that they discriminate against Asian Americans if you look at SAT scores and grades.  So they use subjective factors such as "personality", or "kindness".  I am sure that Asians score lower in those categories because that is the stereotype even in Ivy League schools.  I don't believe that Asians have worse personalities than other races, so I think these subjective factors are more biased than standardized testing.

So what I like to see happen is that schools like Harvard get rid of the legacy factor, no extra points for athletics (unless you are going to play div, 1A football like Stanford), and get rid of subjective personality factors unless you can demonstrate that the applicant does have at least a borderline personality disorder.  Do more recruiting with poor students as oppose to trying to get a black doctor's kid so that he/she will be paying full price.  I don't think any of these will be adopted unless Harvard lose the lawsuit.