Random thoughts while feeling indignant – indignant! – that temperatures actually forced me to put on a heavy winter coat … in the middle of February:

¢I was part of The World Company team that took second place in Sunday’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee trivia tournament. Other members were J-W copy editor Susie Fagan, 6News director Cody Howard and J-W entertainment editor Jon Niccum.

We played horribly most of the night – some of which was, frankly, my tiny-brained fault. But Niccum pulled our bacon out of the fire for the final question, about Kansas University basketball history: Which future pro player was on the Olympic team, a two-time Academic All-American and set 20 school records, eight of which still stand?

Jon immediately cautioned us: “There isn’t only a men’s team.”

He was right. The answer was Lynette Woodard. Second place never felt so good.

¢The Washington Post last week reported about a study that demonstrates ugly people are more likely to become criminals. I’d like to point out that I’ve got a spotless record – and I feel absolutely handsome.

¢ I was at Fort Leavenworth for a couple of days last week for Sunday’s story on how the base is one of the Army’s “intellectual hubs” in the Global War on Terror – known as GWOT in military parlance.

The most interesting observation I heard that didn’t make it into the article came from J.P. LaMoe, chief of staff at the fort’s Command and General Staff School. He was talking about the Army’s efforts to introduce officers to “cultural immersion” – getting the lay of the land, culturally and politically, in the places where they’ll be based.

That immersion used to happen naturally during the Cold War, he said. Army officers based in Germany – which was expected to be the battlefield with the Soviets – often went out to drink German beer, eat German meals and ended up with German wives.

“I don’t know a single guy with an Iraqi wife,” LaMoe said.

¢ I have not seen a single second of the Winter Olympics. And truth be told, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

Maybe if they had pastimes that were common to Kansas in the winter, I’d be able to relate a little more – but snowball fighting and dragging inner tubes on the snow behind cars have a long way to go before they reach Olympic status.