Timestamp issues between mysql 5.0 and 5.1

Question

Slightly off the dreamweaver trail here - but that's what I'm using (CS3)....here's hoping someone knows what the issue is here?
I've created some 'closing soon' and an 'expired' label for some ads I'm running, the php code is below.
<?php
          // get the current timestamp
  $now = time();
  // get the number of seconds in seven days
  $sevendays = 60*60*24*7;
  // get the expiry date
  $expires = $row_listJobs['job_service_expiry_date'];
  if ($expires < $now) {
    // display the expired image
echo '<img src="../../images/buttons_labels/expired.gif" alt="expired job" />';
  } elseif ($now + $sevendays > $expires) {
    // display final week image
echo '<img src="../../images/buttons_labels/closingsoon.gif" alt="job closing soon" />';
    ?>
This works absolutely fine when using a Recordset with a UNIX_TIMESTAMP in it, and going into the background the 'job_service_expiry_date' field in mysql5.1.30 using php5.2.8 provides a 'Default' parameter whereby I can set the Default 'as defined' followed by 0000-00-00 00:00:00.  There is another date field for job posted - but this is just an ordinary date stamp. None of the fields are set up with current timestamps as I want to be able to update records with dates in the future.
The problem arises specifically with uploading this to my server (hey it's 1&1 shared host, so things are a little restricted).  I'm running mysql5.0.67 with php5.2.9 here and the timezone is set to Europe/Berlin. (I'm in the UK).  Looking at the background everything is the same EXCEPT for the ability to set the 'Default, as defined etc'.  So, all the options I'm left with is to set it as a TIMESTAMP with Default 0000-00-00 00:00:00.
Here's the issue. On browsing the relevant page I'm now presented with an error "Function xnameofdatabasex UNIX_TIMESTAMP does not exist" and the page won't load.  This didn't happen during local testing; the page displayed fine, and the php code worked perfectly.
Has anyone else come across this problem and found a way around it?
Could it be the difference in the mysql server versions that is causing the issue?? In which case any pointers on how to amend the fields, SQL query or the php code so that it does work would be really appreciated.  Could it work, for example, by setting the posting date as current timestamp and then the expiry date as just a date, with the php code set to display images depending on days ahead of the posted date eg closing soon +25 days, and expired >30 days for example......need help with this as I'm no php expert!
I can add lines to the .htaccess files, but I've tried adding php_value date.timezone 'Europe/London' to it, but get a 500 error.  My thinking here was that perhaps it was the timezone difference confusing the php?....but I'm not sure.
Incidently, any ideas on how to set the timezone through .htaccess without getting a 500 error (and within a dreamweaver CS3 environment) would also be welcomed.
Thanks in advance
Matt

Answer 1

Thanks David
I tried adding that line to .htaccess, but received the 500 internal server error when trying to access the site.  I've added the other line for the time being -hopefully that works!
The SQL looks like this:
SELECT jobs.job_id, jobs.client_id, jobs.category_id, LEFT(jobs.job_longdesc, 200) AS first200,
jobs.job_imagemini, jobs.job_salary, jobs.job_location, jobs.job_country, jobs.job_title,
jobs.job_posted_date, categories.category_id, categories.category_name,
clients.client_id, UNIX_TIMESTAMP (jobs.job_service_expiry_date) AS job_service_expiry_date,
jobs.job_featured
FROM jobs, categories, clients
WHERE jobs.client_id = clients.client_id AND jobs.category_id = categories.category_id AND jobs.job_longdesc LIKE %var1% AND jobs.job_country LIKE %var2% AND jobs.job_title LIKE %var3%
ORDER BY jobs.job_featured ASC, jobs.job_posted_date DESC, jobs.job_title
Cheers
Matt