On 2010-06-29, António MARTINS-Tuválkin <anto...@tuvalkin.web.pt> wrote: > On 2010.06.28, 20:48, Mark Crispin <mrc+unic...@panda.com> wrote: ... >> If the EU can tell Britain that it can't sell eggs by the dozen any >> more, > Yesterday I bought a dozen eggs (2 racks of 6, set 2×3) here in Portugal. > This must be an incredibly new regulation.
Just for the record, the regulations in question are not yet agreed, and they don't say you can't sell by the dozen. What they do say is that the weight of the contents must be shown. This is arguably silly, and arguably sensible - it's not obviously either. > I guess it is like the UK — you can get arrested for flying the Union > Jack on afloat (even in a row boat on the Serpentine), least you be > mistook for a RN Admiral or the Queen, but you can rob and steal and > lie and still get (and keep) knighthood. Neither of these is strictly true, either - well, except the lie bit. These days, knights convicted of serious offences are usually un-knighted. Unfortunately, neither lying (out of court) nor catastrophic financial mismanagement are actually offences. As for flags, the laws for shipping specify those flags that can be flown to indicate that you are a British ship, and forbid the flying of other national colours. The Union Flag, like the White Ensign, is a flag specified for government vessels. So flying your Union Flag on a row-boat on the Serpentine is technically illegal, and also tactless, since you're in a Royal Park, but I'd be surprised if anybody cares. Most, if not all countries, will have similar laws for shipping, as the flag of nationality is an important concept in international maritime law. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
