DB> Cobol is the only "sensible starting point."  True or not?
DB> I haven't tried Cobol as a starting point...should I?

To cite your own message:

DB> "Absolutely not!

I would be interested in knowing if the person giving the advice were
the grandson of Grace Hopper.  Perhaps the most interesting thing to
come to my attention in recent years was the advent of object oriented
COBOL.  There was only one object though:  the entire program. 
However, such a discussion would be best served in another forum.

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