Thank you for the compliment, but fortunately my son runs a more attractive bead than I; mine get to look cosmetically almost as if they were imported form China unless I focus beyond my level of self discipline. Humility has its reward while I let the kid do all the work, though, (devious SOB that I am).
Kidding aside, AWS Journal features gasses and consumables this September and has some nice feature articles which may be of some interest or future reference. I found parts of them a little confusing and subject to misinterpretation, but that could also have been result of Labor Day libation.
Briefly, I think you already have the important basics if you have Ed's materials. I would only repeat the same things he teaches, but I am happy to try to clarify specific questions.
Tables in the AWS articles this month apparently indicate the c15 steel mix Ed recommends for "all-purpose" actually make the strongest welds of all the various mix ratios and combinations evaluated, so depending on nearly any interpretation of "better" welding, you would probably be correct.
Toward information and resources, I first suggest the AWS itself if you have not already joined. At the risk of pushing the envelope on solicitations, their 'member-get-a-member" drive is in full swing, and I would get brownie-points for anyone I sponsor. Their free reference book (I might suggest welding handbook or welding encyclopedia) alone is worth the first years dues, so e-mail me (click on my name dee up top) if you want an application. Of course you may apply yourself directly, but you would miss out on receiving my sincere appreciation, which according to some, is worth more even than the free reference.
Check out the Army training circular at www.machinist.org/army_welding for some handy process advice and other usefull information.
Regards,
d