Tom, I really like that layout. I built that web originally in FrontPage, which, to say the least, is klutzy. But I've never put a lot of time into my webs. Until recently I needed the time to build software. A few months ago I installed a new Windows 7 64 bit machine and found that FrontPage wouldn't run on it, so I switched to DreamWeaver -- definitely a great improvement. I had intended to get back to that splash page and revise it, but I just never quite got there. In any case, I'll spend some time on it and maybe steal your layout. It's a good one.
Stamper and Jeremy, Those thumbs are NOT cropped. They're vignetted. The full frames are on the site. The very idea!!!
Fred, Thanks for the compliment. I'd certainly like to believe that the vignettes downplay the actual content, so maybe it's time to do what Tom's suggesting. I do think the graphics are a good idea, though.
By the way, for anyone who's not happy with Adobe Flash: The big advantage of Flash, as far as I'm concerned, is that Flash itself is adapted to whichever browser it's going to run in. That keeps me from having to check my pages against all the various browsers out there, including the antiques people keep running long after they've become zombies. Flash is a real time saver.
I'm flattered by all the attention to my web. Blush, blush...