The Web Learning Series got it’s start on YouTube as an ongoing series of video tutorials related to, and inspired by, a sideline project of mine called WideWorldOfWebDesign.com.  As the Tutorials have grown in popularity the project has taken on a Life of it’s own, and due to the steady feedback of people who found the tutorials helpful I decided to branch out and host them on their own website, TheWebLearningSeries.com,  not only improving the viewing environment but also extending the service to include more indepth topics and the option to download accompanying Lesson Files.

These Tutorials take a practical approach to building web pages using the tools available in Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, and an assortment of other 3rd party Components and Programs. You can view an example of one below as originally presented on YouTube.

If you have little or no background in web design and development, than consider this series the “Web Design 101 Video Handbook” which should jumpstart the learning process faster than the long, drawn out task of interpreting pages of text and print screens when it comes to written tutorials. Not only that, but there should be something here for everyone, after all a lot of it is based on my own practical, real-world experiences dealing with what’s required, what’s available, and what works best in a variety of situations.

One thing I’ve always known for sure is that I was born to live in or around the mountains, because that is where I feel the most satisfied, liberated, and at peace with the world. Living in Calgary has afforded me the opportunity (one I never take for granted) to explore the nearby Rockies and it’s pristine wilderness on a regular basis, and I have taken full advantage on my many forays into Banff and Kananaskis over the years (my favorite being Kananaskis which I chronicle in great detail on the website Powderface – the lakes and trails of kananaskis. Here one truly feels like they are living in the heart of the mountains, nestled within the bosom of Three Sisters and Grotto mountain.

Until recently my familiarity with the town of Canmore never really extended beyond it’s relevance as a stopover between trips into the backcountry, so I profess to not knowing all that much about the history of the town and surrounding area. The general knowledge is that it was a sleepy coal mining town until the 1980′s at which time mining operations had ceased and the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics were a reality, eventually putting the Canmore Nordic Center on the world map.
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Every once in a while a Band comes along that really catches your attention, and I had the good fortune of being in the audience as Mass Undergoe took the stage at the Rusty Cage Sept 4th, 2008.

Already enjoying great popularity on Vancouver’s underground scene, this rising rock n’ roll entity are a band poised for world domination, and here are a couple of reasons why . . .

They have the musical chops: These guys can play, and I’m not just talking about technical chops, they also know how to write interesting songs that demonstrate a versatility in rythmns punctuated by tight, sonic blasts that can suddenley segue into a soothing melodic vocal or soft guitar texturing. They’ll come charging at you like a Musical Force to be reckoned with, and the intensity of their live show leaves you feeling a little like you’ve been assaulted, but in a good way.

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There was a great scene in the movie “The Commitments” where the young members of a soul band in Dublin discussed the untimely deaths of famous rock stars, at one point debating on who had actually died by choking on their own vomit.

Unfortunately there has been a great number of tragic figures in the music industry, not only because of how they died but because they were great talents snuffed out at such an early age.

There is of course the “27” club, or rather curse, so named on account of the coincidence that some of the most famous rock stars perished at exactly that age … Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Curt Cobain … apparently by drug overdose/suicide.

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