Trouble w/timestamp colum : mysql5

why is this so confounding?

[mgm_03]

I'm not a dba, just a PHP web schlepp (sp?)...

I've got mysql 5 on my development machine. All I want to do is have a column with a timestamp value. I've done this many times in previous versions. Now, I either get 0000-00-00 00:00:00 or a datetime value.

Since I want to format the date useing php date(), I need a timestamp. I've read the man and it's unclear..I don't need or want Triggers.