It's more of a failure to double check that npm runs when you change the SSL cert you bundled with it.
I think it's a great example of moving a little too quickly, honestly. Especially since it bricked plenty of npm installs instead of being "just another bug".
I don't fully understand what you mean but if you're saying it will under-perform with this hardware I assure you that it will scale better then Node.js :)
Actually I see PHP's duct-tape interface as an advantage. It allows you to express the data structures and manipulate them in less verbose manner, which results in less code, which is easier to debug and maintain.
He's the de jure head of state. The de facto rulers of China are the "princeling" descendants of revolution-era party leaders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princelings).
He is certainly one of them, and perhaps the most influential, but he is certainly not powerful enough to be "the ruler".