11/7/2026

 Saturday, November 7, 2026

1876 President Rutherford B. Hayes and challenger Samuel J. Tilden claimed presidential victory as Tilden (D) won the popular vote, but Electoral College votes were disputed with Hayes (R)

1972 Incumbent President Richard Nixon was re-elected, defeating Democrat candidate George McGovern in a landslide by winning 49 states

2020  Joe Biden was declared the winner of the US presidential race four days after the US election, defeating sitting President Donald Trump.

In bed at 8:35 w/PQPM, up at 6:25; 0645; 203.6 121/73/62 112; 32/49/32, mostly sunny

Morning meds at 8 a.m.  Entresto at 7 a.m. and p.m.

PQPM and Dr. ChatGPT, M.D.  I had troubling back/flank pain most of the day yesterday and was worried about sleeping as I went to bed last night, so I followed my buddy LOA's advice & took a slug of PainQuilPM at bedtime and had a super night's sleep.  The same has happened every time I've used it.  It's a really effective OTC drug.  It's because of the generic Benadryl in it.  I avoid taking it regularly because of warnings that it loses its sleep-inducing effectiveness when used regularly.

I checked on the product again with my everyday doctor, ChatGPT, and got a stern warning against its use, especially because of my age and chronic bladder problems.  The Benadryl component restricts urine flow and bladder contraction.  Additionally, the American Geriatrics Society specifically recommends avoiding diphenhydramine in older adults, even though it is available without a prescription, because of the real dangers of dizziness, confusion, or impaired balance when I get up to urinate. Diphenhydramine/Benadryl can cause these effects even when taken only occasionally.  It's like the old line: Everything I like is either illegal, immoral, or fattening, but in my case, not safe for someone at your age and in your condition.  Rats!

BTW, it has become clear to me that ChatGPT practices medicine without a license.  It doesn't just provide information, as Drugs.com does, or even Wikipedia.  It asks very pointed questions based on its knowledge of the user's medical conditions and history.  The more you tell it, the more it knows, and the more it asks additional relevant questions and gives advice.  If this isn't practicing medicine, I don't know what is.  It's only a question of time before courts will be required to weigh in on whether this practice violates state or federal licensing laws and whether, and to what extent, it may be civilly liable for claims.  Needless to say, it ALWAYS advises users to check with their personal medical provider, but realistically this isn't always possible or even probable.  In many ways, it does a better job than most personal medical providers in explaining things, offering explanations for advice that doctors and nurse practitioners often don't have time for in their crowded office schedules.  Reliance on AI is already becoming one of the predicted revolutionary changes in health care in our Brave New World.  I can attest to it.

Every now and then I get an urge to drive down to Mundelein, IL, to the cannabis store and to pick up some products.  I've known some folks who swear by their regular use of mj gummies or weed.  I was given some gummies a few years ago and got a tad high, or really just nicely calm, from one of them, and had no reaction to a couple others.  I still have the rest of the 'stash' in a little container, long unused.  Marijuana is still illegal in Wisconsin, thanks to our Republican legislatures, and perhaps that will change with the new legislature.  In any event, I'm still left with the problem of whether it's contraindicated for an oldtimer with heart disease and a laundry list of other medical conditions.  Of course, I'd still be free to say, the hell with it, I'm going to use it anyway, I'm going to die anyway, right?  The problem with the devil-may-care attitude is that I don't want to end up in the hospital again for long stays, or get increasingly invalided while I'm still alive.  Rats, again!

Dead Poets Society.  We watched this film last night, a first time for each of us.

Notable development today: Israel's president asked Gadi Eisenkot to form a government, rather than Netanyahu.  Will he be able to do it?