Nth attempt to learn programming

I am making the 'nth' (dont know how many times I started and left it in between due to various circumstances viz lack of time, social and family obligations) attempt to learn programming seriously. After buying many books of various programming languages and also after reading many mailing list posts discussing which language first I have zeroed on Python.
After all this I havent started yet so to speak.
Meanwhile I took a debian quiz
I answered only 14 out of the 42 questions correctly, not bad for a non techie like me I feel.

Another link
What would you put in a Computer Science Curriculum
echoed my thoughts about education curriculum and the practical scenario. I hardly use the technicalities learnt while I was studying for my Chartered Accountancy course. It is just a degree for entering the job market. What we study is pure theory and book knowledge and the actual scenario while working is different.