One in a million

Today I did a risk assessment course to do with chemical exposure of different chemicals. Apparently, acceptable risk for the chances of incidence of cancer in chemical exposure is 1 in 1 million. There were also a few things that stuck out in my mind as 1 in a million chances of death: Smoking 1.4 cigarettes Drinking 0.5 litres of wine Eating 40 Tablespoons of Peanut butter Eating 27 chargrilled steaks Flying in a plane for 1000 miles One chest x-ray Drinking 30 cans of coke Riding a bike 16km Living for 50 years within 8km of a nuclear power plant..... How bizarre huh? The other thing I hate about doing courses like this is that you have to make small talk with the other participants. I used to find this as well when I was a teacher and I had to go to Professional Development courses and invariably I was the only teacher from my school. So I had to make small talk and listen to all these over zealous young graduates wax lyrical over their kids blah blah blah. And, surprise surprise, it's the same in this industry! Over zealous young grads big noting themselves over some big contaminated site, and me? Well, I just nod and be polite knowing in myself that their project is actually pretty crap and they have no idea that I know more than them. Anyway, I keep to myself, read a newspaper or call Miss R during the breaks, rather than stand around trying to juggle a cup of (awful) coffee and a muffin. At the end of the day, I don't really care who they are or whose arse they brown nose.