select statement sorting

is it possible to have postgres return a "SELECT * FROM table ORDER BY
table_column" query that is not case sensitive order?

if i have these words in a column:

Alex
alex
Barbara
Cohen

i will get them back in the following order in the tuples:

Alex
Barbara
Cohen
alex

But i want them back likke this:

Alex
alex
Barbara
Cohen

Is this possible or do i need to sort them myself after the query
returns?

Also, i noticed that postgres will let me create groups, databases and
users with spaces in their names, is this ok or should i check this
beforehand and not allow this?

thanks!

--
Alexander Cohen
http://www.toomuchspace.com
(819) 348-9237
(819) 432-3443