How to convert a Joomla 1.5 template to 1.6 or maybe a tutorial on creating 1.6 templates from scratch!

I'm trying to "do-the-right-thing" for making a joomla/virtuemart site. So, I've just set-up a new install of xampp on my laptop with Apache,
MySql, FileZilla, Mercury and added Joomla! And I guess, well, I think, or at least I'm assuming that I'll set-up a staging area on my host's server and a production folder as well.

But I'm just curious how do other folks do a set-up?

What are CCK's and how to use them to get best results.
Are they just a way of getting sub-categories or do they have a lot more going for them.
They are all document poor, so not easy to use for anyone other than avid tech-heads.
Tutorials on what to use them for and how to use them

I need to skin up a mosets tree template in the same theme as my site. I cant find how to do this anywhere and there is also limited availability to buying premade templates. There seems to be a demand for this but no one is answering!

I am interested in making a good blog on my joomla site and open to all options including integrating a wordpress blog or a blogger blog.

Soon I will have to build an English/Russian website, but I don't really know the best way to go about doing this. Options and tutorials would be great!

I would like to have my sites default to a mobile-friendly template (with the option to switch) to make the site as usable as it can be from iPhones, Android phones, windows mobile, wap, whatever. Pre-made templates seem to be few and far between. How do we get the site to properly choose the template? What are best practices for designing the template if we try it ourselves?

For many websites setting up SEO is a major bullet point on the project outline. So many articles that I read make the assumption that I know what the issues are, and the best practices, and they offer a trick or some tweak to the sh404sef setup process. Not so fast! .... And specifically I'd like to learn how sh404sef works with K2. Best practices... developing an SEO strategy - not that I need all that covered here, but I do need an outline, please. PLEASE! Somebody help me understand.

I'd like to know how is PHP used in Joomla, and why it is beneficial to know PHP to be a Joomla developer.

I primarily use premade templates from Joomlart and I have to admit that I do get excessive code which gives me long load times. I would like to be able to trim the code better.

How to determine what you need to develop a Joomla! application. Do you need just 1 module or plugin, or a compnent only or a component with supporting modules to achieve your goals?

I would like to take advantage of the new capabilities of DreamWeaver to preview CMS platform templates

If you use one of the standard templates that ships with Joomla, then any changes you've made will get replaced when Joomla updates. Here's how to avoid the problem.