Updating sidebar content easily with CSS

Hi Fellaz,
I hope my question is not a brain buster but here goes........
Most sites are done with tables in html. Most newbies (and vets) make the interface and then modify that interface per page, making many html files with mostly identical code.

Here's my objective
If you want to update a link, you have to go threw every page and modify it accordingly. Or if you want to add content, you have to remove text, add text, upload, see if it works, modify it again, so on and so on. Annoying. If you want to redo the interface, you have to port old content over to new content. Now, this makes html coding tedious and brain numbingly annoying.

Honestly guys is there any hope out there for me?

I was looking @ CSS and the usage of DIV but seems that there is a limitation
Here's the scenario:
Take for instance the following page as an example: [url]http://www.movabletype.org
[/url]

Do you Notice the side bar to your right?

-Is there a way to update the content from a single file - which in return will update on all the other pages.

I am out of resources..can someone edify me on a proper procedure?
Thanks in advance.

Yes. Use Server Side Includes, as I do at my site, and as I suggested to Cowkiller in this thread. But Cowkiller seems not to have heeded my advice and instead posted back concerning PHP usage instead. SSI is the quickest and easiest way to accomplish both what you and Cowkiller want. So read through my post concerning SSI in that other thread.

yep, the php function include() will do it marvelously

if you really want to get fancy, try to use a database along with some sort of Content Management System, then you can simply fill out a form & have the links, news, etc. updated automatically without ever touching html

Thanka alot guys you really saved the day...

have a good one