Hospital patients watch a lot of television to pass the time. As a result, nurses often catch glimpses of news and entertainment programs while walking in and out of patient rooms.

I saw Sarah Palin accept her nomination as a vice presidential candidate in a patient’s room. I also watched footage of the tsunami sweeping across Japan, destroying people’s houses and lives, at the hospital. Everything I know about the show “Jon and Kate Plus 8” and the guilty pleasure one gets from watching Judge Judy, I learned from bits and pieces seen on TV at work.