How do I display latest threads AND current online users using external.php?

[digitalSite]

Hello:

I have spent several days researching this and what I have found in insufficient, which has given me a headache from lack of sleep.

Anyway, I am trying to a) post the latest X number of threads from my forums AND b) I would like to also display a box above this showing current online users (just like the box at the bottom of FORUMHOME...is there a way to do this?

1) So far, all I have managed to do is to turn Javascript on in vB and display the last 10 threads. However, I would like to be able to adjust how many characters in the title of the thread to be displayed.

2) I have not been able to copy the code from FORUMHOME and modify it so that it can show the current online users on my home page, which happens to be a non vB page, but has the extension .php.

Any help is greatly appreciated. It is 2:10AM now, I need to go to sleep, so hopefully, someone can help me tomorrow Thank you!