The Singularity that is Cerebrus has spoken. Java IS extremely slow. C++ is a very difficult language to wrap your head around if you've never been exposed to object-oriented programming (further referred to as OOP). VB.NET seems childish to me, but that's because I am a C# programmer. What kinda language has a "Friend" keyword!?
C is also right, about it depending on what you want to do. A web programmer would want to learn C# and/or VB.NET, along with IMPLEMENTING AJAX, DHTML (HTML, JavaScript and CSS), and how to administer a web server. Possibly even SQL, and the proprietaries (T/SQL for MS, PL/SQL for Oracle, etc.). A game programmer would focus on DirectX and Visual C++. Low level access to the machine requires C++ or C. Java is dying, so I wouldn't bother (although, phone's still use it, like Google Android and Nokia.) Also, here in the US, it really depends on where you are. Here in the NYC, the demand for C# programmers is very high, wereas in the PNW, they flock to Microsoft jobs like sparrows.
