I am the entity formerly known as Q. Shtik back before the CFN site became defunct. I have been known for correcting commenters' grammar, spelling, and usage and for my chronicles about my brother-in-law, Peter.

As you can see, I have adopted a new handle for use here on Substack. It is John Smith, a name I believe was at one time the most common name in the USA. Now, where I live in central NJ, every other person's last name is Patel.

Lately I've had all kinds of electronics problems with my RAM 1500 truck (it is being worked on at the dealership as we speak) as well as health issues. It has been determined that I have Afib which is an irregular heart beat. If not corrected it can lead to blood clots which can go to the brain and cause a stroke.

Very soon (within a few weeks) I will undergo a procedure where they give a quick shock to the heart in hopes that it will put my heartbeats back in sync. Dr. Shah (dot Indian of course) says there is little for me to be concerned about since of all the many times he has executed this procedure he has never "lost" anyone however he implied results could vary. It was not clear to me why the shock would put my heartbeats IN sync rather than putting them farther OUT of sync. I have to assume that as experts they know what they're doing.

This has me concerned about "waking up dead" as the expression goes. I REALLY hate the notion of ceasing to exist for all eternity (note: I believe as Jose Mujica believes that "There is only one life and it ends")

Before the procedure I will leave a note for Bo (my wife) that trash pickup is on Mondays and recyclables on Tuesdays.

I have been looking forward to my 84th birthday a month from now, specifically Nov. 21st, and wouldn't want the shock treatment to upset the apple cart. If you don't see any posts from John Smith for an extended period you can probably assume the worst.

Regards,

John "Q. Shtik" Smith