Need HelloWorld WebScript for Alfresco (or Web Service Client)

Hello all...  I'm feverishly trying to find a simple example of WebScripts or a Web Service client to demonstrate how I might be able to pull content out of Alfresco.  Please see my Alfresco Forum thread:  http://forums.alfresco.com/en/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=21225

I'm not having difficulty finding examples, rather finding complete examples that walk me through "all" of the steps required to deploy "what" to "where".  There are sooooooo many ways to skin a cat, and apparently so many ways to develop and deploy WebScripts to access content.  I keep jumping from one example to the next, and the technology or approach is always so different that it requires a complete shift in thinking.  Some are based on JavaScript, some Java, some use JSON, etc...  

I'll settle for following the approach of any technology, as long as I can find some documentation to help me do a simple POC (HelloWorld) end-to-end (development-to-deployment-to-testing).  I would prefer, however, to keep the dependencies down (smallest number of imports), so I can understand first the core Alfresco functionality, and can then start to branch out into the frameworks on which many examples seem to be based on.

Any direction or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks and best regards,
Todd Peterson