I am a retired programmer and tech writer. My programming was all in procedural languages under the VAX system. In order to supplement my income by getting some contract work, I want to learn object-orented design and an object-oriented language. Please advise me on what books to read or online courses to take. Because I did some programmer/writer contract work at Microsoft ten years ago, I am thinking that in order to get contract work there again (as a writer, not as a programmer) I should learn the .NET platform and a .NET language like VB or C#, then after that learn ASP. Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Also, please tell me if I am posting in the right forum. Many thanks!

maybe it is better to thin what will be able to sell and then to think what to learn.
Java and .Net platforms are expensive and you have to work for a medium or big software company to have a chance to practice. If you choose web try to learn php for server side or action script for client side

Yeah sir you have posted in the right forum. If you want to read online give a chnace to search engines do the search for you. You could have world's best literature available about C++ and VB. As you already had a good command over languages soon you will be good at them.