Talk about the blind leading the blind. It's not for lack of cause, that the best homebrewers say that one of, if not the most important factor in making good beer, is pitch rate. Don't let me interrupt your party though. Carry on.
KingBrian -- If you are such an expert on the topic, then why not share your vast knowledge? Clearly we have a group of people, most with good intentions, sharing their experiences with others that have less experience. To my knowledge, nobody on this post claims to have a Ph.D. in Beerology... I think that your response was childish and unproductive, at best.
Now, my take on the starter issue: I am clearly not an expert, so what I am sharing is what I have learned from my own experience and information that I have taken from others. One great source for yeast starter info is MrMalty.com, he has given a lot of details on the topic. One key is to make sure you use maltose (basically malt extract) rather than corn sugar (like the priming sugar). If you use the simple sugar for the starter the yeast will lose their ability to process the more complex sugars and your fermentation will struggle. So, I would stick with malt extract for the starter. Also, you want to make sure you hit the specified gravity on the starter, too heavy or too light will effect the health of the yeast. Many people say that doing a starter improperly can actually have negative impact on your fermentation. Many of my friends that homebrew just pitch the yeast straight from the vial with good results, not contest winning or "knock your socks off", but good. My first several batches I pitched right from the vials, with good results. Since I have started using the starters I have noticed that the fermentation has gone a bit faster (people have mixed feelings on this -- good, bad, who knows...).
So, to finish it off, I would say just pitch the yeast straight from the vial this time. Chances are, you will be fine. In the future I would recommend starters, they are considered necessary for high gravity beers and lagers, so at some point you will need to do it to get the results that you desire. But when it comes to homebrew, don't get stressed out. There are a thousand ways to skin a cat...