I agree that Javascript is quickly becoming an assembly language. GWT (the tooling Google used to get Quake running in Javascript) is exactly that. Java code is compiled to "native" Javascript.

Although, what you say about browser oddities is largely irrelevant with the usage of toolkits like jQuery, Prototype, Dojo, etc. Instead of targeting the Javascript DOM API, you target your toolkit's API. The DOM API is the part that differs between browsers, except for a few very rare cases. Targeting a toolkit's API is a thinner way to abstract the differences between browsers instead of inheriting the overhead of compiling one language to another before running against a machine. For instance, managing C++ pointers in a language with built in garbage collection is probably not the most performant process.

Additionally, there is a subset of the actual language that some consider the "good part" from which you can also target at the language level. This is a great book about how to do that:
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596517748

You can import class files compiled from other languages such as Scala, Jython, etc.

http://blog.headius.com/2009/08/return-of-ruboto.html
http://www.scala-lang.org/node/160

With Java's built in support for dynamic languages, and a little more time, you'll able to compile any language of your choosing into a .class that can be used in Android.

The difference between Health Care and Computer Security is that I don't get to choose my body's operating system, and I have limited control over the hardware and software in my body (short of diet, cleanliness, and exercise, but not genetic issues, or living “malware” from other humans). If I have a living virus, I need to clean it, else spread it to others and then die. On the other hand, a computer virus is not a life or death problem, and some users chose to run systems that are more susceptible to viruses only because it is more convenient or the cost to learn is too high for them. In other words, the opportunity cost associated with being completely virus-free is higher than the value of the convenience of not having to be bothered worrying.

The free market is fully capable of controlling viruses in computers up to the extent that it feels that they need to be dealt with. Government-sponsored virus cleaning will attempt to completely eradicate viruses at all cost (or whatever cost it deems necessary). While we have the same issues with health care, I think more people can agree that the life of a human is a lot more worth the extra work than the life of a machine or network. A certain acceptable level of community virus activity is cheaper than attempting to completely eradicate viruses or the cost of a bureaucracy that attempts to control that activity.

If you want to work in the real world, writing software, you're going to have to speak to other engineers about what you are doing at a level of abstraction higher than "for loop" or "switch statement". You'll want to talk about algorithms and even more commonly, patterns. You may already be familiar with "tree" and "linked list" so you're off to a good start. But, in the future, you'll find yourself saying: "This is a visitor", "this is a controller", "this is a command pattern", etc. The current "bible" of these patterns is known as the Gang of Four book:
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Patterns/dp/0201633612

That one is a hard read. I understand that a more digestible book is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Holub/dp/159059388X/

Two other routes you will want to go down is that of algorithms, like you already mentioned, and refactoring. Algorithms are the most common next step in College, so it might be wise to do that before patterns and refactoring, but I don't think either is a prerequisite for the other. But, knowing what "Big O notation" is, and understanding why a divide and conquer sort is so fast is helpful in your career.

Finally, refactoring seems to be the hidden art of writing good code. So few programmers really understand how to refactor bad into good. This advanced topic will be what sets you apart from the other engineers you compete with for a job. This one is a good "bible"
http://www.amazon.com/refactoring/dp/0201485672

I've had this hardware running Linux with Firefox and Abiword for over a year now:
http://www.littlelinuxlaptop.com/

I don't understand why AOL is ripped on so much in the community. AOL mail supports unlimited IMAP/POP3/SMTP storage. REAL IMAP. REAL.

For those of us who prefer non-web-based mail readers such as Thunderbird or mutt (for their speed, configurability, or better offline-support), full and complete IMAP is a MUST. Gmail supports the IMAP protocol, but the mapping between tags and folders is so disparate that I find it completely useless.

(2^31) seconds = 68.0511039 years of uptime before the bug manifests? So this wasn't much of a problem for BSD?

PasswordMaker is a great way to hash a master password with the URL of the website you are visiting. You only need to remember one or a few master passwords and have access to PasswordMaker. Passwordmaker supports several different hashing algorithyms as well as lots of other options, so you can customize the security of your passwords.

There's a firefox extension:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/469

There's an open source javascript passwordmaker for when you are on the road, it runs completely client side - and you can self-host it if you are paranoid:
http://passwordmaker.org/passwordmaker.html

And, theres an Android app in the Market as well.

I'm not entirely sure that that's true. Shouldn't you use your pointer and middle finger more and your small and ring fingers less that what touch typing teaches to reduce strain? My understanding is that touch typing is for speed and accuracy, and may actually INCREASE strain because so much emphasis is placed on the smallest and weakest fingers to do the majority of the reaching.