SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

YIPPEE – From the Miami Herald:   Venezuela said the coalition of opposition forces known as the MUD has won a two-thirds super majority in the country’s legislature, a major victory in Sunday’s elections.  The National Electoral Council published on its website Monday the final tally of election results showing that two previously undecided races had broken in favor of the opposition, giving them 112 out of 167 seats in the incoming National Assembly, the Associated Press reported. The ruling socialist party and its allies got 55 seats...With a super majority, President Nicolás Maduro could be facing a powerful legislature with the ability to fire ministers and the vice president, name Supreme Court justices and launch recall referendums. It’s a significant blow to Maduro after 17 years of socialist rule. The new parliament, which takes office Jan. 5, can even initiate a referendum that could lead to Maduro’s ouster.  There are some speculative stories that the new powers in Caracas may move to cut off Cuba's oil.  I don't see it happening.  In the past it might have had some effect, but you may be sure that Barack Obama would make up any oil shortage in Cuba.  The left sticks together.

IDIOT – It's hard to make this up.  From Britain's Guardian:   The climate change talks going on in Paris are too dominated by men, to the detriment of effective action on saving people from the ravages of global warming, the UN’s special envoy on climate change has said.  Mary Robinson, the former UN human rights chief and Ireland’s first female president, told the Guardian in an interview: “This is a very male world [at the conference]. When it is a male world, you have male priorities.”  She pointed to the line-up of ministers now leading the talks, few of whom are women. “If you don’t have women here, how can you say this is about people?”  Tuesday was officially designated as “gender day” at the fortnight-long talks, which began nine days ago.  Maybe we're finding out what the "climate change" issue is really about.  It's a left-wing feast, whose main purpose will be to transfer wealth from the accomplished world to the less accomplished.  Along the way, all the favorite causes of the left will be incorporated.  Mary Robinson, the clownish mouthpiece who provided over the disgusting anti-American and anti-Semitic Durban Conference in 2001, a few days before we were attacked, is the perfect messenger for this dribble.  She is, by the way, a favorite of Barack Obama.  Shocked?

LET THE JOKES BEGIN – From Reuters:   SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc on Tuesday released a version of its virtual personal assistant Siri for Arabic speakers in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, potentially making its iPhones more attractive in a largely affluent market of more than 30 million people.  The move, part of Apple's latest software updates, means people in those countries will be able to use Siri in their native tongue on iPhones, iPads and the Apple Watch. It follows Google, whose Android phones' voice search function already offer some support in Arabic.  "This is part of the consumerization and personalization of IT-based services that we're seeing at all levels of the industry," said Paul Black, director of telecoms and media at IDC Middle East, Turkey and Africa.  Apple and its primary smartphone competitor, Google, have saturated the United States and Western Europe with their devices, leaving markets such as the Middle East, China and India as some of the prime places to grow.  What does a Saudi ask Siri?  "Oh Siri, direct me to the nearest school for martyrs.  No more than five kilometers."  Siri better have the answers.  I'd hate to see her imprisoned for impure thoughts.

December 8, 2015