I have a 1GHz laptop
My first computer was an 8MHz Mac II.
Tell me the cost of calling a function still matters 99.99999999999999999% of the time.
If it does - you can still usually make it *look* like a function with a macro or something.
Scott's SQL example is a degenrative case. Realtime systems in tiny machines might be another one.
A good quote I've seen is "The number of programmers who think their software has high performance requirements is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the number of programmers that actually have high performance requirements".
Call the freakin function - if the system runs too slowly, profile and inline appropriately.
Smalltalk is dangerous. It is a drug. My advice to you would be don't try it; it could ruin your life. Once you take the time to learn it (to REALLY learn it) you will see that there is nothing out there (yet) to touch it. Of course, like all drugs, how dangerous it is depends on your character. It may be that once you've got to this stage you'll find it difficult (if not impossible) to "go back" to other languages and, if you are forced to, you might become an embittered character constantly muttering ascerbic comments under your breath. Who knows, you may even have to quit the software industry altogether because nothing else lives up to your new expectations.
--AndyBower