CSS - Css Semantics?

Hi guys,

I've been toying with this for a while, but don't really know where to take it . . . ?
I've got the basic layout of the page to work across most browsers, need to tweak for IE 5.0 & 5.5. I don't have linux, so Konqueror . . . ?
Anyway, this is it, I'm wondering how to remove the layout images from the html in a way that is more semantically correct than having them where they are at present (in the html). The problem is, I don't know what would be more semantically correct than an image.
If I use a paragraph and place image as background - the paragraph will be empty - not content per say - just the image. I've already been advised not to over do the divs, so I don't know what to do.

The html page and css page are there. [Both have been validated]

Any suggestions?? Thanks.

this is my site

i am converting to semantics (starting with the topleft VIPs Area login). i have some questions regarding some of my unique/weird cases:

for stats like
" * Games Played: 119
* Votes Casted: 64
* Comments Added: 56",

i have grouped sets of them into <p>aragraphs, but instead of using line breaks (which is bad, apparently), i am trying to use <ul>s, just removing the bullet image and the indent. well, the indent is not going away. by making the margin-left:0em, does nothing, the padding-left does except it becomes out of line :S

so it looks like
Code:

<p>
           <ul class='nobullet'>
		   <li>Games Played: <b><?php echo $user['totalgames']; ?></b></li>
		   <li>Votes Casted: <b><?php echo $user['totalratings']; ?></b></li>
			<li>Comments Added: <b><?php echo $user['totalcomments']; ?></b></li>
            </ul>
			</p>

should i be using <ul>s or something else to avoid the <br />?

(i will have more questions, but this is a start)

thanks a ton in advance!