Worstall carries a story from Michelle ''teeth whitener's best friend' Malkin. It's one of those typical IPCGMITY stories, school in suffolk bans hot cross buns because it might offend religious sensibilities of non-Christins. Seemed a bit odd to me as it's still a way to go even till Lent. Unlike most of these stories (straight bananas, banning xmas, etc) however there's a grain of truth. But only a grain. The story was picked up by that mighty organ of record the Ipswich Evening Star and then on to the Mirror and elsewhere and lots and lots of places in the US. It's rushing round the blogosphere as we speak. With the result that the head in question is getting hate mail. But what's this? The papers and blogger haven't got the whole story. Says the head,

I have not imposed an outright ban on hot cross buns and we look forward to having them before we break up for the Easter Holidays.”

So what happened? Well, she requested the suppliers to remove the cross because it wasn't yet Easter and THIS might offend non-christians. Well, okay, the latter bit is a bit odd (though most of us would applaud anything that delayed xmas till the start of December). But the actual decision is perfectly sensible. It wasn't the time to eat hot cross buns, so they weren't going to. Perhaps, rather than the appaling attacks on this woman, she should be applauded for resisting arrogant consumerism threatening to turn important xian festivals and their associated rituals into all year-round excuses for consumerism. The Evening Star plays both ends by asking its readers, 'do you think Miss Jackson deserves hate mail?'