Strongly agree with you John F. One point to clarify, when I mention 'UI' I'm not just referring to 'graphics', I'm discussing the entire User Interface, including menu's, options, functions layout etc.
Also agree; I was merely presenting a handful of things that to me seemed like low hanging fruit. And that was without the benefit of the UI in front of me (well, I did refer to the user manual a little). I think there's a lot that can be done in all the areas you mentioned that doesn't require a total rewrite, but does require careful attention to making sure features don't break.
And as for me, I'll stay nice (at least I think I am, although on occasion I can get a little sarcastic). And there's that old meme about honey versus vinegar...