I'd appreciate if you have time and check http://www.diggfinds.com and make a recommendation on what should be changed. Placement, colors, etc. This is a modified version of AdsMinded Wordpress template. Also, in IE the menu on the right drops far down, it's working fine in Firefox though.
nice,i think you do a good blending job,in particular,the link unit. i almost take it as navigation...
The colors are okay, what I would try is to place your adsense ad in a table with the same border styles as the tables on the right of the ad.
I would make your ad's title red, like your articles' titles, I would leave the ad's text as it is now and I would make the ad's color blue, like your article's links.