SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

GROVELING – From The Hill:  "Secretary of State John Kerry mourned the death of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's mother on Wednesday as U.S. negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program enter their final weeks.  'We extend our deepest condolences to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr. Hassan Rouhani and his family on the passing of his mother, Mrs. Sakineh Peivandi,' he said in a statement. 'Such a loss is especially hard coming on the eve of Nowruz, traditionally a time when families gather together in joy and hope.'"  I would normally have no problem with condolence statements, but the man whose mother died runs a regime that denies all basic freedoms and sponsors public hangings in the street.  It is a regime that calls America "the great Satan."  I wish the secretary of state showed more concern about Iran's victims than about the passing of the leader's mom.

AMERICANS AND ISIS – From Newsmax:  "U.S. voters are losing their fervor for involvement in the battle against the Islamic State as ISIS steps up its vicious attacks despite the allied air war against the group and President Barack Obama asks Congress to approve increased U.S. military involvement.  A Rasmussen poll of 1,000 likely voters found that only 25 percent now think the U.S. is winning the war, while 38 percent say ISIS is winning.  Other poll findings include:  40 percent say the U.S. should send ground combat troops back to Iraq to fight ISIS, a drop of 12 percentage points from a similar poll in early February, while 34 percent are opposed.  66 percent say Congress should approve before any troops are sent in, 23 percent disagree, and 12 percent are undecided.  34 percent approve of how Obama is handling the conflict with ISIS, compared to 38 percent in February.  42 percent say Obama is doing a poor job of handling ISIS, an increase from 35 percent in a September poll."  Not exactly a vote of confidence for the military genius in the White House.

GREAT MOMENTS IN EDUCATION – Scholarship marches on.  From People:  "Adults who miss the squish of Play-Doh between their fingers and the feeling of a stiff cot beneath their head can now reconnect with their inner preschooler – for a price.  Brooklyn, New York's Preschool Mastermind is the world's first day-care-like experience for adults, reports ABC News. The course features all the staples you probably remember from your pre-K days, like finger painting, naptime, musical chairs, dress-up and show-and-tell.  'You still CAN be anything you want when you grow up! And this class will give you the hands-on wisdom, intuition and playfulness you need to get there,' founder Michelle Joni explains on Preschool Mastermind's site.  'In this one-month adventure, we'll explore preschool concepts, like sharing and friendship, in order to apply and inject play, wonder, self-belief, and community into our grown-up lives.'"  I think Obama went there.

March 20, 2015