...again, coming in between NCAA hoops-watching:
More trouble for the Obama foreign-policy philosophy of "reach out to them without preconditions and they will come":
"Iran's supreme leader rebuffed President Barack Obama's latest outreach on Saturday, saying Tehran was still waiting to see concrete changes in U.S. policy. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was responding to a video message Obama released Friday in which he reached out to Iran on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian new year, and expressed hopes for an improvement in nearly 30 years of strained relations."
Let's hope the Obama team isn't tempted to make concessions...
Meanwhile, the NCAA tourney rolls on. I had 25 picks correct, 7 wrong in the first round.
Let me throw out some picks for today's games:
UConn vs Texas A&M--go with A&M in another upset. Look for UConn's injuries to catch up with them; and the Aggies too are playing well right now.
Purdue vs Washington--I pick PURDUE to win in a battle between two good teams. The Boilers didn't play that well two days ago; but they won anyway, and I look for them to pick up their play today.
Marquette vs Missouri--go with MISSOURI here. Too much firepower and too many bodies for a depleted, but gallant, Marquette squad.
UCLA vs Villanova--go with VILLANOVA. They didn't play well in game one two days ago, but survived. Like Purdue, I look for them to pick their game up today; and they're playing close to home.
Texas vs Duke--I pick TEXAS in an upset. Texas has big bodies and guys who can shoot the 3. Duke will have a hard time matching up with Dexter Pittman inside. And the Dukies rely too much on the 3; I suspect today they won't be falling.
North Carolina vs LSU--go with NORTH CAROLINA. Too much firepower and athleticism.
Western Kentucky vs Gonzaga--I pick GONZAGA. They're playing not too far from home, and they've gotten hot at the right time.
Michigan vs Oklahoma--much as I'd like to go with the Maize and Blue, I've gotta pick OKLAHOMA. Blake Griffin should prove to be too much for them. Michigan's only hope is to bomb away from 3 pt land, and you know what they say--live by the 3, die by it.
Maryland vs Memphis--I pick MARYLAND in an upset. The Terps have experience and are tested. Memphis struggled in game one of the tourney and I think their struggles to make shots will continue.
