For the latter, try dragging from the Browser on to the name of the object in the properties tray, or into the object in the heirchary in the sequencer tray. Also, try selecting the object in the properties tray, then using the scrolling list near the top of the properties first page to select the shader from list of all shaders used in the scene. On the former, read up on the Layers tool (pg. 293). Works much like the Ray Dream version...but of course many more options.