I love C++.
Yes, the syntax gets icky, yes, it doesn't enforce structure nearly as well as Java, and yes, it can be difficult to learn, but I love it all the same.
Where languages like Java force you (in a way) to use better programming technique, C++ just lets you do whatever you want, hoping that you know what you're doing. Dangerous to people starting programming? Yes. But inside that freedom also comes some power. I love the mix of low-level and high-level support in the language, and once you get used to some of the quirks you can do some really cool things with it. Also, I love it for its performance. Yes, JIT compiling is making great strides, but right now you still can't beat machine code.
I'm currently working on several C++ projects, including a Turn-based RPG using
Irrlicht with a pair of college students, a thin wrapper for the Windows API that lets you develop applications much faster while retaining low-level API access, and a custom dashboard for our robots with drag-and-drop customization (expect some news about this mid-season).