i've vertically centered before, using something like this
http://www.jakpsatweb.cz/css/css-ver...-solution.html
?
using css is just plain smarter. you don't have to redesign every frickin page to get the look you want, just modify the css file. everything *can* be done with css2, though it is admittedly new and unpolished. doesn't mean we should sweep a good thing under the rug because its a little ugly at times.