I would try to go for the variable-width layout, if you can. It's a sign of courtesy to whomever is viewing your site. It shows that "Yes, I thought about you when I was making this site" as opposed to "I think everyone should have a browser window the same size as mine". It's a little bit of trouble, yes, but it's worth it.
Also, color is a wonderful thing. Straight black-and--white is a little hard on the 'ol peepers.
Otherwise, it looks like you've got lots of good content! It's a good layout the most people should be familiar with. The countdown timer at the top is a nice touch.
I also like how your links are well organized. Some helptags (what do you windows people call them... tooltips?) for the links would be nice. Just a little description of what I'll be clicking to when I hover over the link.
MrToast