And I would
not consider people writing in assembly language to be at
 the bottom rungs 
 Right!  I've always wondered why so many of the other programmers I have
 met have held assembly language in such low esteem.  Depending on the
 particular make/model of processor you're dealing with, it can be
 downright elegant.
 I've always thought that one of the more simple assembly languages would
 be a great 'first language' for someone wanting to learn how to program.
 Who's with me? 
 
I learned programming on the TRS-80 in both BASIC and Z-80 Assembly at
the same time.  I preferred assembly language.
One of my favorite languages is MACRO-32 on the VAX.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman(a)dittman.net
School Zones:  Man's attempt to thwart natural selection.