Blue - your home page articles link is wacky. Other than that - its looking good!
I noticed that the GARS_threadbit_deleted template needs adjusting. That is what is giving forumlistings a wacky look if you see soft delete notices.
The Ioncube loaders are seem daunting to install - but they are pretty simple once you get it going. I would strongly suggest installing it via the php.ini option (instead of the runtime option).
For help with ioncube loaders, check
www.ioncube.com its easier than you think!
Get stuck in guys. Im pretty pleased so far and I have gotten a lot of positive feedback for a Beta1 so far