Uhh, Java and C++ and C# are very similar. I've done quite a bit of work in Java, and actually really like the language, despite it's shortcomings. Networking is ridiculously easy in it. Networking in C++ is a PAIN, and I think C#'s networking is pretty much on par with Java's for ease of use.
If you're just learning a language to program, C# would probaby be your best bet, though C++ requires less code to do the real basic stuff (like console I/O) (of course, you can pare down C# programs quite a bit by not using the default projects from Visual Studio, lol.)
The first code I ever touched was VB6. Then I learned C++. After that, I took some highschool programming, and covered VB6 again, and learned Java. I also taught myself Turing, since they had it there (fun language, and REALLY FUCKING QUICK to write stuff in. I actually made a simple encryption engine for a small programming contest in it, despite only learning it in my spare time on school computers).
For simple programming concepts, VB or Turing (if you can find the compiler program) are simple as hell. However, VB all around blows for a lot of stuff, and Turing has syntax that isn't like C/C++.
All in all, aside from lisp, fortran, cobol, ASM, and brainfuck, you can begin learning with pretty much any language.