The Shut down menu may work best on the right side of the taskbar

where we are expected to support various operating systems. Windows 8 is just one of them.

You will have to run through hoops to do the most basic of tasks

Windows has had hot keys forever and they still exist in Windows 8. For shutting down from the desktop in Windows 8 (and 7) the easiest way is select the desktop and press + then pick from the dialog's drop down list restart or shutdown or log out.
Also remember alt tab for switching apps and if you are using a mouse in the touch interface scrolling the mouse wheel does the same things you would do when swiping the screen with your finger.
SO when in the desktop and you want to start a program, hit windows key to get to start screen, then scroll with your mouse wheel to the program you want to open and click it to open it. The ones you use regularly right click them in start screen and pin to task bar.
Follow this advice and Windows 8 can be as easy to use on a mouse and keyboard system as Windows 7 (unless you want it to stay hard to use in your world.)

I don't like to have to remember too many shortcuts to do the same thing. The one works both places and if you have some app like calculator, To do or Sticky Note up on your desktop Alt F4 will have to close each individually before it shuts down, so you would have to Alt F4 several times whereas with CTL ALT DEL it is just one time.

Bonus - If you are loading a small app automatically at boot like a sticky Note on your desktop, guess what, you boot directly to desktop.

Shuting down Windows 8 from the desktop - Alt+F4 !!!
Simple.

Great article. This non third party approach is great for getting use to W8 while still holding on to UI items we need for productivity (a security blanket so to speak) while transitioning. Life should be fun and being dumped into a whole new interface and way of thinking about our navigation is no cake walk for some (most normal ones anyway) users. Thanks Greg, I'm sure I'll use your many tips-n-tricks where they can add user comfort and relieve frustration.