Wolfgang Puck, burnt toast and the Government

Savoring a first cup of coffee while browsing the day’s headlines is an early morning ritual for many folks.

A risk-averse pessimist, Rocky Humbert’s morning ritual includes an additional step: He always checks the latest safety recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

Rocky just read that the CPSC recalled his beloved Wolfgang Puck Toaster. The CPSC recalled the toaster because it can remain “on” after the toast pops up.

Admittedly, Rocky’s toast has been darker than usual of late — but he attributed this to day-old, stale bread — rather than the toaster working overtime.

Although Wolfgang Puck prefers his steak “rare to medium-rare,” the Chef evidently likes his toast burned to ashes.

Rocky’s weekend project will be to exchange his toaster, and write a heartfelt letter of thanks to the 444 diligent employees at the CPSC whose $80 million budget has grown 27% over the past two years.