I don't normally watch much daytime TV, but I've spent a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms over the past couple of months, and they all have a TV that's tuned into the daytime shows. One thing that has struck me, beyond the shows themselves, are the political commercials. I live in PA, and both candidates have wall-to-wall commercials during the daytime shows, whether it's The View or Rachael Ray. I'm pleased to see the daytime shows talking about politics, instead of just seeing commercial after commercial after commercial, distorting the issues the way most ads do.

I suspect at least some of this is related to the job market. When I have to go out to a job interview, I wear makeup and color my grey hair - something I don't do normally. But when you're trying to make a good impression on a job interviewer, it helps to look youthful and perky.

I've found that when an interview sees a few grey hairs, he immediately thinks that I must be less up to date on the latest chemical techniques. Sounds silly, but it's true. When I color my grey, I get more job offers.

One big issue with the supremacy of Wall Street is the elevation of the short term over the long term. All that matters is whether the stock price goes up in the next quarter, not what happens over years. I work in research, so I've seen the problems this creates - why invest in something that won't pay off for 10 years, when your CEO has to raise the stock price now or get fired tomorrow? But many of the problems we're facing have this issue at the core - investment in infrastructure, environmental responsibility, education. Somehow, we have to find a way to reward long-term thinking, instead of focusing on whether a stock went up or down today.

I noticed that the one thing left out of the bill - an extension for unemployment benefits. This was mentioned many times by the Democrats as something they wanted to do, but I guess it wasn't as important as motorsports racing track facilities, wooden arrows and American Samoa.

Americans who have been laid off and can't find a job - who cares about them!

One factor that probably contributed to all of this - living in New York. I hate to say it, because I lived in the NY suburbs for nine years and loved it, but it's enormously stressful to live there, if you are not rich. Housing, whether you buy or rent, is hard to find and expensive, and that's true in the city and in the boroughs and suburbs. There's a constant financial strain. It took me months to find a small apartment to rent (even 40 miles outside of the city), and every landlord checked my credit. (Many turned me down just for having a single late credit card payment - there were dozens of people competing for every spot.) The pressure and competition for housing is like nowhere else I've ever lived.

I didn't realize how stressful it was, living in New York and always struggling to get by, until I left. I know New Yorkers are attached to the city, but a lot of the financial stress might be lifted, just by getting out of that pressure cooker. Just a thought.

A few years back, many orchestras started auditioning musicians behind screens, so they couldn't tell who was male and who was female. The number of female musicians who were hired shot up. Unfortunately, I don't think it would be possible to audition conductors in the same way, but it's interesting to note that before orchestras started blinding their auditions, people were saying "women just aren't interested in these careers" or "women don't have the right technique".

I haven't had to deal with rape kits, thankfully. However, I have had to deal with my insurance company a LOT over the last few months, and they're very clear about what they cover - they will cover a procedure if it's necessary for your health, but nothing else.

For example, I'm being treated for cancer in a clinical trial. If the clinical trial wants a sample from me, for use in the clinical trial but not for my specific treatment, my insurance company won't pay for it. Either the clinical trial folks cover the cost, or I have to pay for it out of pocket. It seems like collecting a sample for use in a legal trial is the same situation - collecting the sample isn't "medically necessary", so the insurance company probably wouldn't pay for it. They'd pay for the exam, but not the sample collection.

A simple question, but it might be enlightening. "It's the day after the inauguration, and McCain is hit by a passing meteor and dies instantly. Now, you're president. What would your priorities be? What would you try to accomplish over the next year? How would you work with Congress?"

I'm sure Palin would answer vaguely - I'd continue to carry out John McCain's policies, blah blah blah - but she might say something more candid, and it would give people a better idea of who she really is.

I've read in several articles that Palin "decided" to continue her pregnancy, as if she's in favor of women having the choice to "decide" one way or the other. Many women have made similar choices, both Democrat and Republican. But her stance is that abortion should be illegal in ALL circumstances. She "decided" to continue her pregnancy, but she wants to make sure that other women can't "decide" whether to continue a pregnancy - they would be forced to do so, whether they want to or not.

I just find it odd that so many articles are using this wording, which makes her position sound benign and even pro-choice.