We have all experienced a "life lesson" in our younger years involving the phrase, "Work Smarter, No Harder."  I remember an example of two lumberjacks tasked to cut down a tree each by ax.  At first glance, the one lumberjack seemed to have an advantage due to size, strength, etc...  However, the "smaller" less physically large lumberjack wins the contest!  Why?  The smaller lumberjack kept a better maintained ax.  The smaller lumberjack sharpened his ax before the contest, etc...  The lesson is obvious, being more physically capable, more able to exert one's self, only goes so far.  I even remember an example of Paul Bunyan using an ax verses a guy with a chain saw.  The chain saw won!  Anywho, I digress...  Hard work and persistence still counts for a lot, but not on a "smarter" planet full of Liberals...  Ever heard of the "Smart Car?"  It is a "green" car that looks like a tricycle with a plastic car body draped over the top.  The car barely seats one short, skinny, person, and that is only if the person sits "Jabba the Hut style," as in sideways across both front seats.  There is even a convertible version of this pinewood derby car!  Heck, it looks like something a couple Boy Scouts could build in their garage for a merit badge.  The car obviously gets "decent" gas mileage at 40mpg and costs like $12,000, but is that enough to be considered "smart?"  You can barely fit two adults int he thing.  It has near zero cargo capacity.  Have kids?  None can ride if they require a car seat.  Strong winds?  Gotta keep the thing in your tool shed for the day.  What exactly is "smart" about this car?  40mpg?  Heck, I get 30mpg in my German luxury ride, near 35mpg if the ethanol content is near zero.  Sure, it costs more, but I can fit five adults, cargo, et al... Lastly, if I'm hit by another car, the paramedics WILL find my body, and likely alive.  Ever heard of the "Smart Grid?"  It is something that these zombie-like IBMers are working on.  I assume they are talking about the power grid.  Now, what exactly makes the grid "smart?"  The grid can throttle back the wattage in times of lesser demand?  Well, don't the power companies already do this?  What if there is GREATER demand?  Then what?  Will the "smart" grid increase the load?  I doubt it, CA, along with other areas, routinely have rolling blackouts.  What is "smart" about living in the dark like a 3rd World country?  I have even heard there will be computer chips in our appliances someday that will interact with the "smart" grid.  What for?  A refrigerator runs 24/7.  What is to check?  I can see if someone forgets and leaves their blender running nonstop on Margarita night where the ability to monitor fits, but even here, where is the "smart?"  Where is the savings?  These chips will cost at least several bucks apiece.  What is the return on investment time frame?  Will the "smart" grid tell the power company your power usage for billing purposes?  Isn't there already telemetry in place to do this?  The simple truth is that no amount of "smart" in the grid will EVER usurp a good solid room temperature superconductor.  Get power efficiency above 50% and now we are talking!  GE makes all these energy efficient appliances and they also make one other "smart" item.  The Compact Fluorescent light bulb.  A light bulb that not only costs more than a regular bulb, but contains toxic mercury.  Yeah, that's right...  The same stuff that Liberal environmental kooks complain there is too much of in our water.  Now we are moving this deadly metal into our homes and for what?  To have "smarter" lighting?  I don't know how you feel, but my thoughts are pretty simple.  Thomas Edison is still right!  GE is dead WRONG!  Regardless, I find the Liberal hijacking of the word "smart" annoying beyond compare.  I can't even stand to watch any commercials that use the word "smart," etc...  The truth is these people "toil" at what they consider "smart" to no advantage aside from some minor ego boost.  I wouldn't even care if some skinny buffoon wanted to drive a "smart" car, but the problem is anything the Liberals label "smart" also should be labeled "subsidized."  The phrase should be changed to "Collect Entitlements, Not Paychecks."    They remind me of the Web 1.0 age.  If you had a server and a domain name, you were somehow an upcoming and legit company with street cred.  You were hot to be bought out for a few million dollars.  I miss those days?  Why?  The items mentioned could be had for a mere $20,000 and the buyers were private investors.  The subsidy on electric cars is like over $7,000 apiece and the money comes from the public!  Not to mention the HUGE bailout of GM (billions of dollars!), but that is all beside the point...  Heck, the only thing that used to actually be "smart" in government, NASA, is in shambles and must "beg" Russia for trips into space.  Ugh!  Ugh!  Ugh!  Hard work can still take you places in this country, but Liberalism + branding can take you to the White House...