How about a way to rip those "plays only on a CD player, not on a computer" CDs? OK, I know, formallly they are *not* CDs...

The FAQ covers most of what you need to know. Worst case, you just run an S/PDIF cable from a standalone CD player into your computer's sound card and just record the stuff directly. If your computer is lacking S/PDIF, you can buy USB adapters for $50-100.