Yeah, I hear what you are saying. You could take the money, buy a piece of plywood, make that your desk for now, and refinish it. If you got the polyurethane off, you could get the contrast of light/dark with the right oils and finishes.
No. I don't care for disgusting food. I prefer flavour. I'm in good shape, not overweight at all, do lots of cardio, and I eat food that is actually good.
In general I agree with your post, but I have a 14" bandsaw from Harbor Freight that I've cut beautiful curves in 4 inch cherry. Made runners for a rocking cradle that were 36" long, and got a perfect curve from this low end bandsaw. Good, sharp blades make so much of a difference.