Ok a few things to say here
Firstly Imoengnr, it does matter if you are clueless or not, as no matter how good the camera, in the hands of someone who doesn't know what there doing its as good as a paperweight.
Secondly Minux "The DSLR is coming to an end fast, no point getting on the band wagon." Where is the evidence of this, considering more and more top Pros are making the switch to DSLR's and technology is advancing in leaps and bounds over film. And don't you think that the high end camera manufactures would be at the forefront of the market.
The DSLR is by far the most advanced camera on the market, yes compacts are good for what they are intended (point and shoot, family gatherings and outings, kids playing etc) but when it comes to portraits and weddings there is absolutely no compramise for a good high end DSLR. Especially with the interchangable lenses as the quality of glass matters, and no matter what people say "digital zoom" on compacts is rubbish compared to qulity zoom lenses.
I don't want to upset anyone here but I feel quite strongly about this subject as I run a photography business, and I care about my quality and my clients.
My advice to you troy711 is to do your research, look around at whats on offer and decide what you really want to take photos of and how far you want to take it. There are a whole lot of options out there and not one camera suits everyone, the best choice may be a compact ( and I don't hate them, there just not right for me).
However the biggest thing is to learn HOW to take photos. Composition, exposure and depth of field are just a few of the things to learn on your quest to take better photos.