Font problem on wxPython (Mac)

Good evening,
  I'm having a problem on the Mac platform. Specifically, my
wxPython-based app won't run if the Times font isn't installed. The
strange thing is that I never use that font in the application. Actually
I don't use any font but the default one (I never explicitly set fonts
at all). Here is the backtrace (the exception raises immediately after
the application has started):

Exception: wx._core.PyAssertionError
Value: C++ assertion "status == noErr" failed at
/BUILD/wxPython-src-2.8.0.1/src/mac/carbon/font.cpp(366) in
MacFindFont(): couldn't modify ATSU style
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/home/silvio/documentz/projects/workspace/MoioSMS/src/sms.py",
line 45, in ?
     bestUI.run();
   File
"/Users/silvio/shared/unison/projects/workspace/MoioSMS/src/moio/uis/GraphicalUI.py",

line 38, in run
     WxUIApp = wx.PySimpleApp(0)
   File
"//Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/lib/python2.4/site-packages/wx-2.8-mac-unicode/wx/_core.py",

line 7848, in __init__
     wx.App.__init__(self, redirect, filename, useBestVisual, clearSigInt)
   File
"//Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/lib/python2.4/site-packages/wx-2.8-mac-unicode/wx/_core.py",

line 7748, in __init__
     self._BootstrapApp()
   File
"//Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/lib/python2.4/site-packages/wx-2.8-mac-unicode/wx/_core.py",

line 7345, in _BootstrapApp
     return _core_.PyApp__BootstrapApp(*args, **kwargs)
   File
"//Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/lib/python2.4/site-packages/wx-2.8-mac-unicode/wx/_core.py",

line 7757, in OnPreInit
     wx.StockGDI._initStockObjects()
   File
"//Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/lib/python2.4/site-packages/wx-2.8-mac-unicode/wx/_gdi.py",

line 6134, in _initStockObjects
     wx.ITALIC_FONT.this =
StockGDI.instance().GetFont(StockGDI.FONT_ITALIC).this
   File
"//Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/lib/python2.4/site-packages/wx-2.8-mac-unicode/wx/_gdi.py",

line 6130, in GetFont
     return _gdi_.StockGDI_GetFont(*args, **kwargs)
PyAssertionError: C++ assertion "status == noErr" failed at
/BUILD/wxPython-src-2.8.0.1/src/mac/carbon/font.cpp(366) in
MacFindFont(): couldn't modify ATSU style

Restoring the Times font with Font Book resolves the problem. I've
tested this on OSX 10.4.8 on an Intel-based MacBook Pro, probably other
versions are affected as well.

Is there a solution to the problem? Thanks in advance.

Regards,

···

--
Silvio Moioli
www.moioli.net
silvio at moioli dot net
"Things should be as simple as possible, but not any simpler" Einstein