I’ve always found the phrase “May contain nuts or nut pieces” odd, especially when it is found on foods that have nothing to do with nuts. Don’t the makers of these products know whether there are nuts? What do you mean it “may contain”?

After seeing this several times and pondering the possibilities I’ve determined that food companies put this phrase on their products to warn people that are allergic to nuts. They must make nut products in the same factory and they are admitting that despite health department regulations, policies and procedures, etc. there is still a possibility nuts may creep into products not intended to have nuts. So, they warn the consumer.

At first glance, this seems like an acknowledgment of incompetence. Why can’t you guarantee that nuts will stay where nuts belong? The answer is simply…there are things out of their control. They can try as hard was the may, but with all the efforts and procedures nuts may in fact just get in. They can’t help it, so they warn us and people with allergies stay away from those products. The phrase seems silly, but it works.

Over the past couple of weeks a man, on the famous DO NOT FLY LIST, managed to purchase enough explosive material to fill an SUV and park said vehicle in Times Square. That’s right…New York City…Times Square. He was then able to board a plane. Billions of dollars being spent, czars and committees, more meeting than any of us can possibly comprehend and yet while an 80 year old lady in a wheelchair is undergoing a full body search before being able to board a plane this man walks right on.

Washington continues to say we are safer and they have thwarted many terrorist plots that we are not even aware of and that may very well be the case. But clearly the system is not prefect or even close to perfect. We have all of this fancy equipment and airport security is nothing short of a colonoscopy these days, but we missed him. He parked the SUV and got on a plane.

There’s a list and we are the wealthiest country in the world. Home to Microsoft. When he bought the ticket, or went through security, or boarded the plane…anyone? Look on the list. Why is a vehicle able to park and stay in the middle of Times Square, but I can’t get within 300 feet of the New York Stock Exchange?

The government will tell you that it’s not that simple. There are a lot of travelers and so much going on in Times Square. Things slip through the cracks. Hell, maybe they should issue a warning too – May Contain Nuts. We’re not sure. Things can happen. Wow, this stuff scares the crap out of me. Not because there are people out there with a dangerous agenda, but because the government is responsible for my safety. Here’s another phrase…They can’t find their way out of a paper bag. My thoughts from the laundry room.

Wash Your Hands!

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