So, I decided to get my K100D with the 40mm f/2.8 DA lens instead of the kit lens to start out. I decided the extra speed is more important to me than the more versatile zoom. Of course, more lenses are in the plans (saving for 77mm f/1.8, the 50-200mm zoom, and, most of all, the 16-50 f/2.8 DA*) but so far I'm really happy. Not having zoom makes me think more, which isn't a bad thing at all. And although 60mm-equivalent seems like an awkward focal length, I'm finding it really quite useful for my primary subject (see below).
I guess it's kind of like a normal lens which automatically forces you to crop out more extraneous clutter from the edge of the frame.
No post-processing except a tiny color adjustment and of course the resize down with slight sharpening.
Oh, hey. The forum software resized my portrait-orientation examples; the rules are pro-landscape, I see.
They looked better than that when I uploaded 'em (that's some serious jpeg artifacting). Oh well.