The Cardio/Weights Debate

Recently my mom sent me this link with the attached question, "what do you think Whitter?":
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201104/warm-cardio-then-go-weights-right-wrong
I told her I would check it out and then write about it. This is a debate I've had with trainers, friends, family, and even strangers. One of the biggest problems with fitness is that EVERYONE has an opinion. Also, since it is a big industry there is a lot of research out there. This should be a good thing but I find it really overwhelming. You will read a recent study done by a University in Arizona that says you should do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach and then a month later read something from another "study" that says something entirely different. Fitness magazines tell you bread is bad in all forms and then the next issue on the stand will tell you to have whole grains. Um, hello? Where am I suppose to get whole grains from??? When I first started working out I asked practically everyone I could talk to about this question. It seemed to be the consensus of the body builders and trainers that you should do your weights first, their reasoning that you would burn through the sugar in your muscles so that your cardio would burn the fat. My sister, a die hard gym girl, said something different. She had a rockin' body and said that she had always started with 20-30 minutes on a cardio machine before doing her weights. She felt that this gave her muscles a chance to warm up and kept her heart rate up while she lifted weights, thus burning more calories throughout the workout. My opinion? I think my first challenge is to get to the gym and get myself motivated. I usually do a 10 minute warm up on the stairs and then hit weights for an hour or so. If I'm tired or in a hurry I go home. If I stay longer I'll do another 30 minutes on the elliptical. I don't think I would be doing myself a disservice either way though. I simply prefer to do it that way because when I get done sweating through my cardio I want to get the hell out of there. People who are just getting started need not concern themselves with which order they do this. They should do what they feel they get the most from and give themselves a big pat on the back for getting in the gym. They are already doing more than 50% of the population. 
-Whitney