thanks for the comments tony.
i like the page alignment... it's different, which is why i did it like that. too many sites that are set to 800 x 600 res are centered... this is different. course, not everyone will like that, and that's why i have the two styles available for the forum.
as for the buttons, again, a personal preference. less obtrusive and matches the overall theme.
again, thanks for the comments.