I don't know exactly which CS curriculum these people went through that didn't have to "work hard enough to understand something", but I'm pretty sure if you have to take (distinct) math classes like Differential and Integral Calculus, Abstract Algebra and Group Theory, Linear Algebra and Geometry; and next to that some other fundamental CS theoretical classes including Lambda Calculus, etc... all in the first year of your CS curriculum (which at least was the case here); you probably encountered a couple of hard nuts to crack.
Add to the mix in the later years a couple of more "applied" CS courses like compilers, interpreters and parsers; and of course; what everyone here is referring to as "good programming" some "easier" classes about Software Engineering, OO programming, Design Patterns and Databases, Networks, and that's basically what a CS curriculum looks like here (except from some possible AI, Machine Learning, Management, ... courses).
Of course, this still doesn't guarantee you a good Software Developer/Engineer (passion and motivation is very important), but the basis is as good as it gets.

So, Again, unless you guys have some university level CS curriculum where you graduate building a website in PHP, or unless these Javascript weenies actually had no CS background at all, I'm a bit weary of your statement.
Mind you, I hold EEs in high regard and would definitely hire even if not up to par with latest Node.js FizzBuzz framework.

When that comes out - I'm buying it regardless of whether or not I actually need to learn or use the language.

"I've got an idea.... formin' in my 'ead."

Poor Michael Jackson :(

Why would ESA not have access to SpaceX manned vehicles ?

> The biggest problem in the social sciences isn't their practices, it is that their findings are inherently political

No, the biggest problem in the social sciences is their (often) feeble understanding of Statistics and the heavy publication bias towards positive papers (where significance was found, as opposed to negative papers supporting the null-hypothesis) at conferences and in journals.

I'll be at the Budapest embassy Friday getting my kids passports renewed. Maybe I can ask on the side while I'm there. My guess is gonna be that they aren't gonna do much for me.

No - that page acknowledges reality. And I have used the number there for people outside the US. It's a long wait to talk to some person who sounds miserable. I have no idea if the wait is any different than calling from inside the US.

I've been calling them a lot because at the same time they are keeping me from efiling for my 2014 taxes, I still haven't received my 2013 return. So I keep calling them and waiting for a an hour or so to let them tell me it's "In process" and that they don't have any other details. They tell me there are no problems on my end so I'm not sure what is up.

I may end up mailing in my stuff - it's just that it is slow and expensive.

Not this stuff. It's mostly just lectures. But it all took place in a sensitive country and wont be publicized. But the tool is pretty decent for what it is.

I sometimes also have found the average Philosophy major to be indistinguishable from an Eliza program.

Here it happens. Renaming streets is even more frequent and the names depend primarily on the party in charge of govt. at the time.

If you really don't have a driver's license (as opposed to not having it on you while being pulled over) in Belgium, you will definitely go to police court and probably get a somewhat big fine ( at least 1200 euro). However, you won't get any jail time unless you ran over some school kids.
Belgium is rather lenient considering jail time though, other Western European countries might have you spend the night in jail as well, but probably not get you convicted to actual jail time.
If, in Belgium, you are convicted to jail time but that jail time is less than 3 years, you usually don't have to do them and may get an electronic ankle bracelet instead.

Crap in -> Crap out.
But seriously, don't the common job sites do this already? I'm pretty sure a Monster; GlassDoor or LinkedIn already have departments working on better matching algorithms ( using NLP, supervised or un-supervised machine learning).