Whew - that's a lot to think about.  But i think I got the jist of what everyone is talking about.  I have been doing a lot of research and I think I'm finding out that i REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FLYING.

As DenverJayHawk was talking about, I should have a radio that has mixing and dual rate capabilities.  And how do I dial in "minor expo"?  And what's the difference between 3D and aerobatics?

I'm sure someone is laughing at me for asking these questions, but I've learned more in the last day reading your responses than I have over the last 6 months trying to figure it out on my own.  

Also, I have looked at the bid-n-fly planes, and there is a fair selection.  Is the only benifit of bind-n-fly that I don't need to buy another receiver?  Aren't I paying for the receiver with the price of the kit, or is there another advantage?

I'm now leaning towards the Spektrum DX7.  The DX8 is like $200 more, and I'm not sure I would use the telemetry feature right now. My knees still get a little weak when I fly and  I'm still worried about getting my planes back in one piece, so I don't think another distraction would be good for me right now.