Thank you for this. I've had some experience as a noob being thrown into a web app project and it really is a massive headache keeping three languages under control at once.
There needs to be some kind of complete language solution for these types of things. HTML has run it's course.
I don't think we should be surprised that some folks did not understand the point being made - 'twas ever thus.
I also feel that the "meme" captured here resonated nicely with Dave Winer's post http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/12/04/soonItWillBeTime... and with John Resig's http://ejohn.org/blog/javascript-language-abstractions/ . The abstractions are so leaky that they become the problem - no longer helping us get things done but actively (? passively) conspiring to stop us.