I couldn't agree more. This is a return to the kind of D&D that requires that a DM has a keen and critical eye around rules and group preferences for the adjudication of situations like that is being argued on the cleric thread. There is no right answer except what each individual DM gives after...
I suppose it depends on how much you care about the speaker and what they are speaking about.
Me listening to Mearls about 5e D&D before release = hours of attention
Random guy at game store talk about how he doesn't allow gnomes in his home campaign because xyz reasons = no attention
We never played with wants of CLW. However, most of the people I played with never played magical characters because they were unwilling to learn the magic rules.
That only means that , for example an ability allows you to cast a spell and then do something else while you're casting, you cannot cast another spell. It doesn't really address action surge. I think. I'm away from my book at the moment.
A short rest is one hour long. You can only do so many before the day is gone. Besides, the every character has hit dice to recover from as well, so why use second wind except when you need it?
Even in the playtest electrum and platinum were described as coinages of ancient empires. So while they may be found, you might have to have them changed into local currency.