You know, bryan, I agree, even though I have debated you on this point in other threads. It really is best to just be patient and carbonate it over a period of days. You get finer bubbles and a better moutfeel.
The same thing can be achieved by overpressuring, etc. But as you point out, you'll end up chasing your tail a bit. Over then under before you finally get it right.
You can still shake a keg to speed the absorbtion of CO2 along, even if you use a lower pressure.
And as far as the beer losing CO2 while being served at 8 PSI...I haven't noticed it at all...I'm not really well versed in draught science (there's a lot to learn), but I'm no stranger to it either, and it seems to me that if you keep the beer really cold, then the CO2 should not come out of solution. That's been my anecdotal experience, anyway.
Cheers!