Free Applications

Open Office (free MS office suite)
Gimp (free image editing software)
Kompozer (Free web design software)
FileZilla (Free FTP software)

Free anti-virus software

AVG
Avast
Microsoft Windows Defender
Spybot Search & Destroy
Ad-Aware Free

Interenet/Web browsers

Website screenshots (cross-browser testing)
Firefox (the best)
Google Chrome
Safari
Opera
Internet Explorer (not the best)

internet trends & research

Jacob Nielsen
Read Write Web

local community newspapers

Woodbury, MN
Hastings, MN
South Washington County, MN
Farmington, MN
Rosemount, MN
Red Wing, MN
Hudson, WI
River Falls, WI
New Richmond, WI
Pierce County, WI
RiverTowns.net

wide world of graphic design

Smashing Magazine
Think Design
DesignFreebies.org
Planet Photoshop