Jason's Notes About Stuff

I'm tired of hearing Canadians complain about our healthcare system.  You know what?  We do have to wait longer for some types of treatment -- but not usually anything life-threatening.  And you know what else?  That's life.  Resources are expensive, limited, and in Canada, they're allocated based on urgency of need. I had to go to a clinic here in the States for a minor issue that I've visited several Canadian clinics for in the past.  The experience was nearly identical!  They had the same advice, and the same treatment.  The setup was similar.  I swear even the posters on the wall were the same. However, there are a few major differences.  See if you can spot them. The Canadian Experience: Realize you have a problem Go to walk-in clinic Present your health card Wait (1-2 hours) Get treated Go home  The American Experience: Realize you have a problem Call insurance company Explain problem Get pre-approved and record claim number Go to walk-in cli...

People are getting busier and busier, and it is becoming somewhat of an art to actually get people to read and respond to emails. Here are some quick tips to make the experience better for both the sender and receiver: Make emails as short and concise as possible. Important: Write a concise, relevant subject line! Separate your short sentences into paragraphs with a space between them. If you are making multiple points, or asking multiple questions, put them in a numbered list .  Better yet -- write separate emails with different subject lines. Make sure it will fit on one screen of a typical email program. (a lot of people don’t like scrolling) Use bold and highlighting to draw attention to the really important parts. Edit your emails multiple times, and cut out unnecessary words and sentences. If your email requires a response, try summing up by asking one simple question at the very end of the email. People are great at writing long, rambling emails, but sel...