table based post columns

<?php
/**
 * Template Name: News Page 1 - Template
 *
 * A custom page template without sidebar.
 *
 * The "Template Name:" bit above allows this to be selectable
 * from a dropdown menu on the edit page screen.
 *
 * @package WordPress
 * @subpackage Twenty_Ten
 * @since Twenty Ten 1.0
 */

get_header(); ?>

<style type="text/css">
<!--
body {
    background:url(http://www.thejacksons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bg-header2.gif); background-repeat:repeat-x; background-position:top;
}
-->
</style>

<style type="text/css">
div.background
  {
  width:300px;
  height:50px;
  background:url(http://www.thejacksons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/post_title_bg.png) repeat;
  border:0px solid black;
  margin:-150px 0px 0px 0px;
  position:absolute;
  }
div.transbox
  {
  width:300px;
  height:50px;
  margin:5px 0px 0px 5px;
  border:0px solid black;

  }
div.transbox p
  {
  margin:0px 0px;
  font-weight:bold;
  color:#000000;
  }
</style>

<table width="1060" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
  <tr>
    <td height="50" colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><div style="margin-top:12px;"><center><img src="http://www.thejacksons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Title-Welcome.png" alt="The Only Source. Welcome to the Official Jacksons Website." width="815" height="28" border="0" /></center></div></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td height="400" colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">

<div style="margin-left:70px; width:922px;">
<table width="922" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="color:#000;">
  <tr>
    <td width="300" height="272" align="left" valign="top">

<?php query_posts('category_name=jackson-5-news&posts_per_page=12&tag=news12999');
//automatically get the last 12 posts of the 'jackson-5-news' category with tag 'news12999' ?>

<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

<?php if( $wp_query->current_post && ($wp_query->current_post)%3 == 0 ) : //add table html at the start of a new line of three posts ?>
  <tr>
    <td height="272" align="left" valign="top">
<?php endif; ?>

<!--Post Start <?php echo ($wp_query->current_post+1); ?> -->
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
  <tr>
    <td height="150" colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">
<a class="hmfeature-links" href="<?php the_permalink() ?>">
<?php the_post_thumbnail( 'single-post-thumbnail' ); ?>
</a>
<div class="background">
<div class="transbox">
<a class="hmfeature-links" href="<?php the_permalink() ?>">
<span style="font-size:17px; line-height:1.0em;"><?php the_title(); ?></span>
</a>
</div>
</div>
    </td>
    </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="220" height="122" align="left" valign="top">
<span style="color:#AEAEAE; font-size:11px;">Published on <?php the_time('F jS, Y') ?></span>
<br />
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
    </td>
    <td width="80" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="margin-top:40px; height:35px; font-size:35px; color:#AEAEAE;">
<center>
<fb:comments-count href="<?php echo get_permalink($post->ID); ?>"></fb:comments-count>
</center>
</div>
<span style="color:#AEAEAE;"><center>Comments</center></span>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
<!--Post End <?php echo $count = ($wp_query->current_post+1); ?> -->
<?php if( ($wp_query->current_post+1)%3 != 0 ) : // repeat table html between posts ?>
    </td>
    <td align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="300" align="left" valign="top">
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if( ($wp_query->current_post+1)%3 == 0 && $wp_query->current_post != 11 ) : // add table html after three posts, but not at the end ?>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <?php endif; ?>
<?php endwhile; ?>

<?php if( $count < 12 ) : //add empty table cells into non-filled table rows
 for($j=$count+1;$j<=(ceil($count/3)*3);$j++) { ?>
    <?php if( $j%3 != 0 ) : //between posts ?>
    </td>
    <td align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="300" align="left" valign="top">
    <?php elseif( $j%3 == 0 && $j != 12 ) : //after three posts, but not at the end ?>
    </td>
  </tr>
    <?php endif; ?>
 <?php
 }
endif; //ends: if( $count < 12 ) ?>

    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>

<!--end of posts and columns -->

    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="321" height="20" align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="739" align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td height="20" colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;

    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td width="321" height="20" align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="739" align="left" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
</table>

<?php get_footer(); ?>