Evan, I remember those days--WordStar was the first PC word-processor---I was a main-framer until the late '80's. I learned the Wang word processor system then, to learn to use a PC, someone gave me a copy of MultiMate, which looked just like the Wang system.

Since I started programming with Pascal, I actually picked up PL/I because I needed a dynamic linked list for a client's ap and SAS isn't designed for such dynamic data structures. PL/I was like a real-world version of Pascal, and the syntax is virtually the same as SAS, so it was a natural.

APL was simply insane. Statisticians loved it because you could invert a matrix in about 5 characters. SAS had PROC MATRIX which could do the same in about 20 characters. (Replaced by IML and I NEVER saw anyone use IML--too hefty a license fee).

FORTRAN IV drove me crazy with the GOTOs you had to use. But I could write in it.

Then there was that nightmare called....JCL...! (I was actually good at it but it was like having to hot wire your car and twist wires together to get the turn signals to go on, or the horn to blow).