Thanks for your replies. I will look at the posted video! Interestingly enough, the other night, I was tweaking a few things in the RGB panel–thinking I was in LAB–and I did notice some fairly obvious hue shifts. After pondering whether i liked the change (I decided I did not), I realized my error and headed over to the LAB panel. Theoretically, I knew that L is totally divorced from A and B in LAB, but seeing these in action on one of my own photos really drove the point home.
These curves and equalizers seem a little easier now, but I will sometimes just try the “tin-pan alley” (Thanks Andy! 
) solutions of the lightness, chromaticity and contrast sliders. if these give me what i want, then I’m generally not too interested in tweaking further.