Let me start by saying that there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. Well, there are some stupid questions but yours don't qualify. Sorry.
Anyway, back to the stupid answers - here is my go at it.
The funny pores in the wood are the ends of cells that got cut or sliced. They are the tubes that water and nutrients travel through during the tree's life time. You can make them go away by filling them in with a paste wood grain filler. Normally one would stain or dye the paste wood grain filler slightly darker than the bulk of the wood or at least as dark as the darkest part of the wood. This is usually done over the primer/sealer coat.
Can you polish lacquer with a rotary buffer - yes, but not with a cheap one. You would only do this if you are looking for a mirror or piano finish which is not common. Most finishes are 'good to go' straight from the gun.
As for being an annoyance, until you are called an annoying little twit, dont worry about it. And even at that, you can always take the attitude FEITCTAJ.
But... by all means, still RTFM.
By asking the questions that you did, I can assume you want a professional looking finish. You wont get much info from reading books except a lot of confusion. Read PDS's (Product Data Sheets) or PIS's (Product Information Sheets) from the various products and manufacturers. Most of the finishes you will read in books are products that most manufacturers wont recommend. The easiest place to start reading is Wood Finishers Depot Catalog. All of their products are described in their online catalog
www.woodfinishersdepot.com. Then go to Mohawk Finishing Products catalog and do the same. Other catalogs online are ML Campbell and Sherwin Williams except their catalogs are hard to decipher. While you are on their website, jot down their Tech Support e-mail addys and phone numbers. Why Tech Support? Because don't trust the knowledge of a salesman.
When it is all said and done you will probably end up with a vinyl sealer and pre-cat lacquer finish for 90% of your projects and Conversion Varnish and it's assoc. primer/sealer for your higher quality finishes.
Usually when it comes to finishing questions on most forums, a war breaks out so this time should be no different.
I hope this has been some help.