Etc...

Are you sure you need me?

Joe Steer didn't know whether to feel patriotic or incredulous last month when he was called to active duty for possible deployment in Iraq if there's war. The resident of Rainworth, England, received an official Ministry of Defense letter ordering him to report for training. But it was all an "administrative mistake." Oh, Steer once was a soldier. But the last time he saw combat was 61 years ago. Now, he says, "I'm a bit past my prime." But he does believe a war to oust Saddam Hussein is necessary.

Nor was that the only administrative boo-boo in Britain recently. The owner of a car accused of violating London's new traffic-control policy on its first day, Feb. 17, was fined $65. Alas, the vehicle turns out to be a 105-year-old museum piece that hasn't moved under its own power in decades.