I can't help much on the TV questions (I have a 20+ year old Sony which will not be replaced until it dies). But AFA your third question, I do not know of any DVD player which cannot play CDs (and mine is an old second-generation unit). The DVD player can connect to your receiver (Harman/Kardon) just the same way your old CD player did (even using the same cables). You simply would need another cable to connect the video output of the DVD player to the TV. As you buy the DVD player and the TV, ask about DVD output and TV input. There are a few different methods, some better than others. For example, my old TV only has a "composite video" jack so that's what I use on my DVD player even though "composite" is probably the second-lowest-quality connection I could have. Newer DVD players and TVs offer additional connections, but if those input types don't match, they're of no use to you. :-) HTH!

My son, the smartest of us three "boys", who wanted no more schooling after H.S., just retired from farming. His son is a teacher, into music, has made his own CD. Brother won't have anything to do with a computer. Actually - if I were going to write him the stuff we talk about in a 20 min. conversation on the phone - it'd take a week. And no instant feed-back. Though I send and receive emails (as far as receiving - like thousands in a month!) I don't do banking online. No one gets my credit card number online, either. Nor do I buy and sell stocks online - (actually, I hardly ever sell 'em). Actually - don't write a lot of cheques, either - giving them to strangers is a risky business, as well. Most of my business is small - and local - so I do it in cash. Haven't got held up, yet. Actually, sometimes I've hitchhiked substantial distances, in which case I have usually distributed some cash in about half a dozen locations on my body - including under an unnecessary bandage on my arm. Lived for several years in south Korea just after that devastating war when there were many desparate people around. Actually, last Saturday was the 55th anniversary of the start of that horrible war. War is hell - as the U.S. will continue to learn for a few years in Iraq. Have a great week - and summer, all. ole joyful

LuAnn and Lexi, you don't have to be an inexperienced college student to rack up huge debt with easily-gotten credit cards! I know people who are otherwise seemingly successful people who are paralyzed with credit card debt that they acquired while employed. I agree that they should teach consumerism in all high schools. DGS has a "Family Living" class that he has taken for the last three years. They learn to cook, sew, balance a check book, make out a budget -- that sort of thing. At home, we ridicule the commercials (it gives us something to do till our program comes back on) and we talk about how other people manage their money and some of the dumb things they do. I do think there should be more education given about how to resist sales pitches and understanding how credit works. You both have a point in the college thing. I have worked places where they would not even read the resume of someone who was not college educated. I have been on the other side of the coin where non-degreed people were welcomed because they would never expect to be paid very highly. Some of this depends on where you live and what kind of degree you have earned. And yes you do need to have a plan and know what you want to "be", but most kids fresh out of high school have no idea unless their parents pick a career for them and we all know that usually doesn't work out in the end. If you live in an area where there are lots of office buildings then you'd be safe to get a degree in Business Admin or Accounting. If you're in oil country, a degree in Geology might work. If you're near the coast, Marine Biology. If near pharmaceutical laboratories, Chemistry. And so on. It would be so much better if a kid straight out of high school could work for a couple of years and then go to college. But by that time, most of them are married and have brought children into this world. Having a family and the responsibilities that come with it makes it really hard to go to school. Not saying it can't be done, just that it's real hard on everybody. It is up to the individual whether they seek a job that takes advantage of their degree. Anyone can go to work at a fast-food place whether they have a degree or not. And there are times when you need to take whatever job you can get to put food on the table regardless of your experience and education. But a 22-year-old has forty years in which to earn income. That's a long time and surely somewhere along the road, an opportunity is going to come along that will require a degree. As for debt collectors, yes, they're a rude and hateful bunch. But there is no difference in the debt collector trying to collect on a college loan and one trying to collect on a car you couldn't afford on a non-college educated income, or a few loans you took out when you couldn't make ends meet. As for myself, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't get a degree. For me, it would've made all the difference in the world.

So in a nutshell, a frugal wedding can be done if you have the cooperation of family and friends and organization on your part. A trick I learned from an event planner--Visualize exactly what you want it to look like and then work backwards to make it happen. borrow as much as you can. Need a fridge in the barn? borrow one. Some people have extras in their garages and don't know what to do with them. A stove to warm things up? borrow. People love to help. Remember to show your appreciation. A mention at the reception or a written thank you. Put the whole thing on paper, from when you arrive at the farm to the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception. all the activities, all the cooking times, when this happens, when that happens. It will give you an idea of what you need, when and where. Invitations--colored paper and envelopes, save the date postcards, card stock, get four out of each piece, thank you's from walmart--or make them yourself, more heartfelt. Clothing--clearance racks, used or borrowed. For the guys, kahki pants and nice shirts and ties that match. (JC Penney) Forget the Tux or suit. Decor--flowers from fields in your area, twigs, grasses and grocery store florists. Make it yourself, many books out there on how to do it. This might even be an idea for your boquets and boutteniers...forget the tulle or use very little. Ribbon is big now. Twinkle lights, fairy lights--I just bought 20 boxes of white Christmas lights for .60$ each after the holidays. Reception--biggest expense. Everything make ahead. Pork loin, Chicken Breasts, a Turkey. Everything paper or plastic, good quality. Make your cake or grocery bakery. rent tables, chairs and tablecloths, you can use the chairs for the ceremony too. Boxed White Zin wine (it's what restaurants use?!, you can cover the boxes with pretty paper), beer kegs, appetizers, chips and dip from Sams or Costco. bottled water and pop. Don't forget cleanup. Maybe the Dad's can bartend? I'd find a couple to "host" the cocktail hour just to make sure things get done (music, food, make sure people are taken care of) and go like you want them to go. Remember, you will be taking pictures and the Mom's will be getting dinner out and the Dad's will be bartending, maybe....get everybody in place before the event, don't wait till the last minute. Always have a plan B for most everything. Have a little money to spend? have a square dance caller and the square dance club out to your place for entertainment and for fun. What would be more appropriate for a farm wedding? OK, these are just ideas, they can't all be solid gold. Make sure you have enough lighting in the barn and around the yard. Can you use square haybales for seating somehow outside the barn? or even inside. Not everyone is going to want to stay indoors if it's nice outside. Music--recorded ahead of time in the order you want it played. Your fiance may like to do this but find someone who can press play and pause for you and doesn't mind doing it all night long, make sure he or she gets a break once in a while during the evening. If you can't afford an MC, maybe you have an outgoing friend who wouldn't mind getting up and announcing activities for you. Don't depend on things flowing smoothly by themselves, have someone in place to help it along. And just a side note--I gradated from college three yrs ago and have yet to pay on my loans due to deferments. They will work with you for a long time.