All of the bloggers I know online have felt the pinch from the economy. The money isn’t flowing around the internet as freely as it used to! Most of the folks I’ve talked to who are receiving “stimulus” checks from the IRS are planning on stimulating their bills with the money. Times are only going to get tighter, and those of us who are used to making money online will continue to feel the pinch. If your budget has taken a hit, now is a good time to investigate debt counseling online. Programs like debt analysis and credit repair can help get your budget back on track so that you’re not a victim of the economy!

I was bummed to hear that Microsoft backed away from the option to purchase Yahoo. I thought this deal, if it had gone all the way, would have been just the right thing to shake up Google’s strangle hold on the internet search business. The powerhouse combo of Microsoft + Yahoo would have equaled major competition for Google. I’m saddened to see it’s not going to work, because this means Google can tighten the choke hold it’s got on market share.

I’ve been contemplating a design change on my main blog. I usually hire that type of work out, not being able to make pretty images on my own (none I’m pleased with, anyway!) but I know I’m not ready to hire someone just yet. At any stage of the game, I’m a designers worst nightmare, nit picking over layouts and colors, but I don’t even know what *I* want yet. A three column Wordpress theme with soft muted colors, or something in a snazzy two column with colors that pop off your screen?

Until I decide where I’m going, and how to get there, I’m taking inspiration from places like this design blog. Billed as the blog where style and web design meet, you’ll find articles on web design as well as SEO tools and tips. The title “Web Designing - The Planning” just caught my eye, so I’m off to read and see if I can pick up a few ideas. This piece on the top three web design elements is interesting too - it puts into words what I like visually and explains why colors and contrast work together on a web page.