In 1994, Hakon Wium Lie proposed the concept of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to the world, moving web design one small, significant step closer to perfection (read a brief history here).

For the virgin, the W3C has a short tutorial for those of us who have never used CSS before. There’s also a more robust tutorial (by the W3C) here, and another by The Web Design Group here, all of which are well worth bookmarking.

In addition to the above, html.net’s CSS section is also a good place to go to, especially since it’s HTML tutorial is only a click away.

For an actual reference you can touch and feel, nothing beats The Ultimate CSS Reference by Tommy Olson and Paul O’Brien. While you’re there, check out some of Sitepoint’s other priceless titles

For inspiration, there’s cssBeauty, and the CSS Zen Garden.

And as usual, Smashing Magazine has a plethora of tools, tutorials, and techniques the wanna-be CSS expert should not live without (of course, these are not the only CSS materials they have available).

1. Eat Breakfast
The list of good reasons to eat breakfast are long (here are some reasons, and then some more, and then one more), and the benefits are enticing (a full stomach is always a good thing). The “I don’t usually feel like eating in the morning” excuse is flimsy, and it is possible to eat a healthy breakfast on the go.

No more excuses, please!

2. Learn something new
If Newton could learn from something as ordinary as an apple (as legend has it), finding something to learn from shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Why don’t you learn Korean, a computer language, or better yet, volunteer?

3. Write a manifesto
“At its most base level, a manifesto is a written declaration of your principles and intentions. However, they can be a blast! Not only do you get to set forth what you believe, without justifying it, but you can also denounce everything you don’t like! You can use it focus your passion and fill yourself with a sense of purpose.” (from Creative Creativity)

Then share your’s at ChangeThis (aka Manifesto Central).

4. Make a Bucketlist
The only way to tell good stories is to live an interesting life. You probably have more than enough time on your hands anyway, so why not live an interesting life?

Tip: Remind your future self to live with 43 Things.

5. Be Useful

6. Sweat the Little Stuff (but only after sweating the big stuff).

7. Keep in touch
We all have friends who live in different cities, and sometimes all over the world. College ended, better (or worse) jobs come along, or the cold became unbearable, etc… There a million reasons people end up drifting apart.

Back in the day, that would have been a good enough to lose touch with old friends. Not anymore: today you have Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, bebo, GolfingMyWay, FriendFeeder, Skype, Youtube, and a million other ways to stay in touch.

8. Share good blog posts with 2 people you give a rats tail about (you can start with this one).

1. Tutorial9’s School of Photoshop (highly recommended)

2. 23 Most Incredible Photoshop Tutorials

3. Photoshop Tutorials and Design Resources for Designers (from MickM.com)

4. Create a 60’s Psychedelic Style Concert Poster (from PSDTuts.com)

5. Colorful Typography Photoshop Tutorial (from Photoshop-Garden.com)

6. Photoshop Tutorials.ws

7. Only Photoshop Tutorials

8. 100 wonderful photo effects Photoshop tutorials (from The Photoshop Roadmap)

Of course, you can also “stick it to the man” and use 10 free web-based alternatives to Photoshop

1. Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby
A tutorial like you’ve never seen before, complete with talking foxes and examples based on chunky bacon. Also, keep an eye out for the most entertaining side bars you’ll ever come across.

2. More great tutorials:

• Nuby on Rails.com
• Really Getting Started in Rails

3. Ruby on Rails on Hotscripts.com

4. PHP vs. Ruby on Rails. An evolutionary story of a Web Developer and his tools- A great comparison of the super-hero abilities of RoR and PHP. At the very least, this is a good primer on the differences (and similarities) of both.

5. Ruby User’s Guide

6. The Complete Ruby on Rails Manual

7. For more links, screencasts, and other RoR goodness, go to Ruby on Rails.org