Default date format to ISO + 1 bug

Hello,

since I am a simple Postgres user, I don't understand the instruction to
change the postgresql default date format from 01-13-2000 to 2000-01-13

The timestamp format is OK with : 2000-01-13 09:11:24-05 but
Date gives : month-day-year

For Postgres v6.5 (and earlier) the default date/time style is
"non-European traditional Postgres" (I guess that means that timestamp
does not follow this default format). How do I change this?

And then... I have a second broblem:
I have postgres version 6.4.2

I created a new testing db.
createdb test
create table toto (num int2, name varchar(16), date_insc date);

When I : insert into toto values (1,'mapaquin',date('now'));
it give me :    1|mapaquin|12-31-1999

BUT IT IS JAN 13th !!!!!!

(yes, my PC has the rigth date!)

When I create a new table:
insert into toto2 (num int2, name varchar(16), date_insc timestamp
default now());

I make an insert: insert into toto values (1,'mapaquin');
it gives me:     1|mapaquin|2000-01-13 09:11:24-05

and now, it's OK!!!!

What is wrong?

Thank's!
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marc Andre Paquin