hi, newbie so please be tolerant.... ;)

i need to start to learn a programming language to be able to develop
custom aps to be applied to a variety of purposes but mainly 1) financial
data modeling--including graphics and data handling via database queries,
etc.; and 2) more general business-type aps.

my feeling is that i hate BLOATED sluggish programs (like some Java
program running on older JVM's and perhaps not written in an optimal
way....u get the idea.)

if i need to make a choice between fancy and efficient,
speed, etc., then it's an easy choice 4 me of efficient.
which is why i have just started w/ c++.

however, speaking to one my programmer friends who is a top level Java
programmer (the stuff he writes is very efficient and fancy as
well--great balance), he is telling me that 1) c++ is being phased out
(except 4 real low level stuff like drivers, etc.) in favor of languages
such as Java or Ruby. he recommends i switch from learning c++ to learning
Java or Ruby. i wd hope to be able to choose the best path and not have to
switch tack in the middle as my IT capablity is not a full time activity,
but more of a support 4 my main one--finance.

of course, learning curve is to be taken into consideration as well....

'd love some comments that might help me consider my options and pick a
path (c++, java or ruby) w/ a higher level of confidence..... i know that
people here will be biased towards Ruby, but that is fine: i want to hear
about it....