Friendship: The Best of Life, Part 2

In Part 1, we discussed the various types of friendship and the bases for friendship. The third point is this:

Every real friendship has a purpose. A friendship should be active and mutual in order to fulfill its purpose. Why do humans become friends? Let's itemize the manifold purpose of friendship for the two persons involved:

1. Mutual assistance: friends are to help each other; a relationship of enablement is an abuse of friendship.
   
2. Motivation: friends encourage each other; they edify or build up each other; they inspire each other to succeed and excel beyond mediocrity.
   
3. Improvement: friends make each other better; friends sharpen each other; King Solomon described it as iron sharpening iron; friends improve each other's personhood, self-esteem, confidence or performance as iron sharpens iron.
4. Advancement or Progress: friends help each other move from one point to the other
   
5. Maturity: friends nurture each other to grow up, become mature, a more complete person.
   
6. Endurance: friendship is a coping mechanism; a true friend gives you the edge in difficult times, because she will strengthen and empower you to cope with some of life's toughest challenges; friends see each other through hardship, without being mere bystanders. Friendship can make the difference between surviving war, as prisoner of war, or life in a refugee camp.
   

Friendship that fails to somehow in some way make one or both friends better cannot be called genuine friendship. It may be a leech-connection, a sponge-bond, or codependency, but not friendship in the true sense of the concept. Any friendship that ceases to make one better no longer has any purpose for being kept alive.

When friendship ends, former friends often become disappointed, or worse. But this need not be case. You can experience a better closure to the death of friendship, so that a little piece of your life does not die with every deceased friendship of your past. For this to happen, you need to look at the "failure" or downfall of every friendship differently. As serious as the death of a friendship is, it can be a time to refresh and regroup, without taking yourself off the shelf or display at Friendship Mall. Think, speak and believe ideas along these lines:

1. Resentment rejected: I refuse to be bitter or resentful towards my ex-friend.
2. Regret unnecessary: Instead of regret the end to our friendship, I choose to savor all the good times we spent together and the good things that came from our friendship when it was alive and well. Do the same thing that bereaved people do at funerals; moan the loss but cherish and treasure the precious memories.
   
3. Gratitude: I am grateful and thankful that our paths crossed and our lives connected; somehow I believe this world is a better place, because we met and shared our lives.
4. Not Abandoned: Just because our friendship has ended does not mean my ex-friend betrayed or abandoned me. It doesn't mean he did not appreciate all I did for him, or what we meant to each other. There may be things going on in her life that I can't or don't understand for now.
5. Purpose served: Our friendship has served a purpose. Perhaps it was meant to be only a temporary friendship, which is no less valuable than a permanent friendship.
6. Potential Friend: For my part, I refuse to consider my one-time friend an enemy. My ex-friend remains a potential friend, but I will leave that to the twists and turns of life.
7. Better Me: In the mean time, I will work on myself, so that the next person who is fortunate to have me as friend will have one of the best friends they ever had. Yes, I'll remain friendly and keep the entrance to friendship a double door, ready to fling wide open again if life would have it so.

Being a great friend means that you understand the value of friendship. It also means that you are aware of the type of friendship you are in, the basis for your friendship, the purpose of friendship, and how to bring positive closure to a fallen friendship.

Mogama, The African Thinker

Friendship: The Best of Life, Part 1

Every family member. Every neighbor. Every coworker. Every stranger. Every person is a potential friend.

Isn't it strange how the word "friend" conjures closer ties than words like relative, sibling, or even spouse? Yet it is even a double blessing when one's friend happens to also be a husband, wife or family member.

Friend. One of the sweetest words in any language, whatever it is called in that language. Friend. A person with whom you are in harmony, one accord. Someone that understands you, someone that you understand. One you are in rapport with. A friend is a human being who has become more human to you than anyone else. To become a friend is to become a person in a greater sense, at a deeper level, than merely being another human.

Friendship. Why don't we define or describe friendship as a "ship" with just friends on board? A ship that carries no other cargo but friends. Really, in true friendship, the two of you do feel like you have climbed into some kind of vessel that floats above and beyond the ordinary. Friendship. A simple network of two persons who have discovered a special chemistry for a relationship in which each person says things and acts in ways that benefit the other. The epitome and glory of a life aglow with unselfishness. Life at its peak and very best is friendship.

Yet there is an irony to friendship: the benefits of the birth of friendship can match the blight of the death of friendship. Just as many lives have been transformed by the discovery of true friendship, so many lives have been torn down by the destruction of the same. Therefore, to ease or lighten the blow of friendship's demise, it really behooves us to understand friendship in its many complex aspects and facets. Though friendship itself is a very simple human relationship, there is not much that is simplistic about the ingredients and tenets that go into making a great friendship.

In this two-part article, let us explore the types, the bases, and the purpose of friendship. We shall conclude with some suggestions for handling the end of a friendship.

First, there are various types of friendship with reference to time or timing. Every genuine friendship is a timely relationship. As such, a friendship can be seasonal, temporary, or permanent.

1. Seasonal friendship is one that is on and off, based on the season in either friend's life. Seasonal friendship is only useful and rewarding when the season is right, or else, one person or both become a bother.
2. Temporary friendship comes to an end after it has served its purpose. Attempts to prolong a temporary friendship may create disrespect for a friend, resentment or even enmity towards an ex-friend. It is often better to let a temporary friendship die, or you may find yourself playing the undertaker, regretting why you revived the corpse in the first place. Friendship can never be a forced relationship; so, when it's over, let it go.
   
3. Permanent friendship is the yearning of everyone who values friendship. Yet a lifelong friend is a treasure too few and far between. After more than 40 years on Planet Earth, I can claim about 3 permanent friends so far, and one of them is my wife. The average person so desires each and every friendship to be lifelong that she tries to force the issue and keep a friendship on life support, when it would be far better to eulogize the thing and just let it go to the trash bin of human relationships. When you find a truly permanent friendship, the circumstances and dynamics of that relationship will serve to sustain it over the years. No need to repair a temp friend to make him or her perm.
   

Second, every friendship has a basis on which it sits and rests. It is important to know what a friendship is based on. Friendship can be based on affinity, personality, common bond, need or interest.

1. In an affinity-based friendship, two friends just take a natural liking or attraction to each other. They just seem to click. It's a chemistry thing. This form of friendship tends to lean towards romantic involvement, though it may develop between two people who may never drag romance into it. Affinity friends do not have to be alike. In fact, they may actually be opposites, but as we know from magnetic poles, opposites can and do attract.
   
2. In a personality-based friendship, two individuals become friends because they are similar; they may both be reserved (introvert), outgoing (extrovert), or mediocre (average) for that matter. Or politically, they may be conservative, liberal or moderate in their views. They may both be secular, progressive, religious or traditional.
   
3. Common-bond friendship is one between persons of a similar ethnicity (two Hispanics), religion (two Muslims), church (two Baptists), nationality (two Chinese), team (two Celtics fans) or life experience (two refugees). Yes, birds of like feather do flock together.
4. In a need-based friendship, two persons came together because one of them had a need that the other helped meet. For example, you become friends with the person who paid for your stay at a motel when you lost your job or when you just got of jail. Need-based friendship can be an uncomfortable union of unequals, unless something happens for the two friends to switch roles, whereby the one who had received help before becomes the helper in a situation that puts the original helper at a point of need. For example, the guy who paid his friend's motel bill gets evicted by his landlord and has to lodge with his friend who now owns an apartment. Because of the usually one-sided nature of need-based friendship, it is often not a simultaneously enjoyable experience for both friends. Therefore, this form of friendship is often short-lived, if the "needy" and the "savior" do not switch hats throughout the relationship.
   
5. Interest-based friendship is one in which two friends share a common interest, which may be sports, music, career path, books, movies, travel, etc. This form of friendship is likely to terminate if one person replaces the interest that formed the basis of the relationship. For example, if you and I became friends primarily because we were members of the same band, our friendship may bite the dust if our band disbands. Interest-based friendship runs the risk of being very superficial, though it can become deep and meaningful if the parties put in the effort needed to keep it interesting.
   

=> See Part 2 to continue...

The African Thinker

Why Hillary Clinton Should Divorce Bill Clinton Now

I'm not one to condone or encourage divorce for any typical couple. But then, is there anything typical of that celebrity couple known as Bill and Hillary Clinton?

The pair met at Yale Law School in 1970 in a civil liberties class. Bill later proposed to Hillary with the words, "I bought that house you like, so you better marry me because I can't live in it by myself" (About.com). The couple tied the knot on October 11, 1975 in that brick house Bill had purchased. The couple's only child and daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was born on February 27, 1980. That makes her 28 years of age as of 2008.

Much has happened since then, as the Clinton's marriage has been tried by fire in the public square, much of that trial due to the womanizing ways of Mr. Bill Clinton, who some diagnose with sexual addiction. And it is for that very same reason that some Americans savor the thought of Hillary divorcing Bill, if for no other reason, that he would bear some consequences, in this lifetime, for his numerous adulteries, despite Hillary's seeming faithfulness to him.

For the entertainment value of that thought, I say if there ever was an opportune time, the perfect time for Hillary to dump Bill, all indicators point to the present moment. Who is to say that through recent years, dating back to Mr. Clinton's eight years on Pennsylvania Avenue, that Mrs. Clinton has not been contemplating, if not outright seeking, an occasion to dump Bill? This is your moment, Hillary. Go for it.

Here are a few reasons for this salivating notion.

1. The obvious: Hillary Rodham has put up with too many affairs by her floundering husband. How many incidents of infidelity can the female soul take and stay sane within the bonds of matrimony? Doing nothing drastic about Bill's many cheating belies Hillary's strong woman image.

2. At long last, Chelsea Clinton is now a true adult. She more than proved her maturity by her brilliant and relentless campaigning for her mother during the primary elections. Since there is no longer a need for Hillary and Bill to stay together for Chelsea's sake, why not call it quits? The overdue divorce may even give Chelsea the opportunity finally stop making excuses for Dad, while at the same time, giving the nod to Mom for taking action. Chelsea may just pat mommy on the back: "I wouldn't take it from any man either, Mom. I don't blame you one bit."

3. The huge political reason: When the moment finally came for Bill Clinton to deliver the largest alimony payment for all that he has put his poor wife through all these 33 years of marriage, he failed to deliver the goods. You see, it is quite possible that Hillary has held her nose all this time, knowing that one day Bill would catapult her to the racks and reins of power. Yest, he sort of helped her to some extent, because, thanks to him, Hillary became the First Lady of the state of Arkansas, then First Lady of the United States, follow by becoming a Senator from New York. However, those accolades were supposed to only pave the way for the Big One: Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic Party's nomination in the race for president of the United States of America. And how did Mr. Clinton perform for the Big Mo? He flat out failed his faithful wife. He just could not deliver this long-awaited alimony check that would finally cause Hillary wipe the slate clean for Bill's cheating. So if he could not bring home the goods, of what real use is he to Hillary now?

4. Mr. Bill Clinton might have actually caused Hillary the Democratic nomination for the 2008 primary elections, after all. Can we fully explain how Hillary went from "It's her turn, she's got the nomination all but wrapped up" to losing to Barack Obama, the rookie Senator from Illinois, a guy loaded with much baggage, a guy who has never held one executive office, and perhaps the most liberal person who ever ran for America's highest office? No loops around it, one reason Hillary lost to Barack was Bill Clinton ~ his careless remarks and insinuations about Obama being another Jesse Jackson, injecting race into the campaign, his childish tirades and temper tantrums on the campaign trail, his giving the impression that a Hillary Clinton presidency could be a third term for President Clinton. Bill has become too costly to Hillary's political future.

5. As the present-day default feminist queen, evidenced by her recent political acumen, Hillary Clinton no longer needs Bill to forge ahead to higher office. In years past, Hillary needed to ride Bill's charismatic coat tail into the the brightest spot of public limelight. Now that she has some credentials of her own, Hillary can now position herself in the cockpit and take off to her own destiny. Bill need not be a passenger, if she does not want him to come along for the ride. She is currently the most famous and most influential Senator from New York. Also, Hillary is the first female to ever get this close to winning the nomination of a major political party in the history of the United States. To add stars to her crown, with nearly 18 million votes cast for her, Hillary rightly claims the record as the candidate who won more votes than any candidate, male or female, in a primary election. All that means one thing: the woman can now stand on her two feet in the political arena; she no longer needs to lean on Bill's everlasting arms.

6. Bill Clinton has become a political liability to his wife. In other words, Bill has become Hillary's bill, a bill she may keep paying and paying to her political demise...again and again, for the highest office on American soil. Worse than contributing to Hillary's loss for the 2008 primary, Bill may cause her to lose in the next national race, whether that come early in 2012 or later in 2016. Hillary cannot afford to allow Bill a center-stage role again in her next national campaign. All across America, as there are millions who are Clinton fanatics, there are greater numbers of voters just as devoted to standing in the way of Mr. Clinton's return to the White House. As long as he remains visible in her campaign, the adversaries of the Clintons will continue to interpret a Hillary presidency as a continuation of Bill Clinton's regime. Hillary can't wait for the radio and TV commercials to start painting that picture. She must ditch Bill before the Republicans can take to the airwaves with ads about "Bill Clinton's Third Term".

Thus the most brilliant political move Mrs. Clinton can make at this point on her power trail is to divorce Bill, plain and simple. She must do so while she is awash with a vast chest of political capital, though she may still be lagging her 2008 campaign bills. Besides, dumping Bill will add to Hillary's persona as a feminist icon. Feminists will grade her, no, they will adore her as a strong and smart woman even the more. Simply put, her divorce of Bill, if she initiates the breakup, will be cause for celebration throughout Feminist Nirvana. And that can mean nothing but more votes in 2012 or 2016.

So I say, more power to you, Hillary! Bill must go! Bill must go!

What Hillary Clinton as VP Will Cost Barack Obama

It will be a historical repeat of biblical proportion if Barack Obama picks Hillary Clinton as his running mate for the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States. Mrs. Clinton comes with a price tag that may prove too high a political price for Mr. Obama. The cost, I don't think, is defeat, but a diluted win over Senator John McCain, a sort of water-down victory in November.

Let me briefly explain, using an analogy. In the Bible book of Judges, there is a man named Barak. A female judge by the name Deborah told Barak to step up, form an army of Israelites to go to battle against the forces of King Jabin of Canaan.

Hearing Judge Deborah's instructions, Barak told her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!" (Judges 4:8). To which Deborah replied, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey..." (Judges 4:9). Deborah made Barak understand that he would win with or without her, but if he chose to win with her, he would forfeit credit for the military win over Jabin and the Canaanites.

The 2008 analogy of this ancient drama is as follows:

• Barak of Israel symbolizes Barack Obama of the Democrats. Incidentally, the names "Barack" and "Barak" are basically the same. The Hebrew name "Barak" means "thunder". Doesn't that drop a hint of Barack's 'thunderous' speeches? Outwardly, Barack looks and sounds like a strong man. Outwardly.
  
• Deborah of Israel symbolizes Hillary Clinton of the Democrats. One meaning of the name "Deborah" is "bee". Doesn't Hillary's tenacity remind us of a bee sting? Indeed, Hillary portrays a hard-working bee who just won't quit. Her performance in the Democratic primary elections bear witness to that, particularly her big wins towards the end of the campaign season.
  
• King Jabin of Canaan symbolizes Senator John McCain of the Republicans. "Jabin" means "building". Senator McCain comes across as a firm building that has weathered many storms and continues to stand firm.

Now, the real meat of this delicious analogy is found in the exchange between Judge Deborah and Commander Barak, as cited above. Deborah's encouragement to Barak to defeat King Jabin corresponds to Hillary Clinton's June 7th endorsement of Barack Obama, predicting his defeat of Senator McCain. The ancient Barak's refusal to take on Jabin without Deborah at his side would be applicable to Barack Obama, if he were to choose Hillary as his vice presidential candidate. He would be saying, "I can't take on McCain and win without you. I don't just want you on my side; I need you at my side."

Then here is the kicker: Hillary would accept Barack's invitation to join him on the ticket, but with the belief that "there will be no glory for (Barack Obama) in the journey." The Democratic pair would be likely to win the presidency in November 2008, but the "glory" or credit for the victory would be seen as Hillary's, not Barack's. As America should know by now, Hillary Clinton not only knows how to take credit, she knows how to do so loud and long.

That's what is at stake for Mr. Obama in his choice for vice president. The price tag is the glory that should come with victory. Choose Hillary Clinton and forfeit the glory of your victory, or pick someone else and you can have both the victory and the glory.

Thus Barack Obama is right in saying the choice for vice president will be the most important decision he will ever make as a presidential candidate. That choice will determine whether he will be like the thunderous speech but weak-minded Barak of old, or like a fearless man who can stand and win on his own merit.

Let's express Barack's VP decision as a pair of mathematical equations:

• Barack + Hillary = Victory - Glory
• Barack - Hillary = Victory + Glory

Now, let us think...

M.G. Matally

What the Bible Says About Money

Here are six laws of money drawn from the Scriptures:

Before God's financial will can become a reality in your life, there are some biblical, financial principles you must adhere to:

#1: God is the Real Owner of Money. God owns it all, because He made it all. That includes all the money in every pocket, purse, bank account or investment account anywhere on planet earth. And yes, the money that God owns does include the money you have in your wallet, purse, bank account, piggy bank, or under your mattress. It's a hard or harsh truth, but it's reality: you own zero money. Here is the supreme proof that you and I own nothing: try dying. That's right: drop dead and see how much stuff you can take with you. Nothing. Like me, you were born broke; you didn't come into this world with diapers on! And guess, what? Like me, you will die broke too; you'll leave it all behind, even if you're Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey. Well, if God owns everything and every penny, then who are you in relation to stuff? You are a custodian, a manager, a steward. You and I are custodians of God's property, God's money. See Psalm 24:1; 50:10-11; Haggai 2:8; Job 1:21; 1 Timothy 6:7.

#2: God is the Ultimate Source and Giver of Money. Your pay master or wherever you get income is only a medium for getting the money from God to you. How does God get money to you? Normally through work. But for you to be able to work for money, you need life, health and strength, and every bit of that comes from God. See Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 10:22; Ecclesiastes 5:19; Acts 17:28.

#3: Money is a Powerful Force. Besides God, money is perhaps the second most powerful force in the universe. In a life where there is no, money becomes god, an idol - either the love of it or the lack of it. Money is like a mighty flowing stream that can sweep you away and drown you, if you don't know what to do with money. Why do you think we use the word "currency" to refer to money? Because that's what money is: a current, an ever-moving current that carries goods and services, for better or worse, around the world 24/7. The currency of money never stops flowing. The current floats some people, just of few, while it sinks and drowns the masses who are blind to the reality of this mighty flowing stream, not to mention which direction the current is flowing. Just a minority of the human race have learned the skill to surf the financial waters and waves. It's sad but true: most human beings swim against the tide of currency. That's why the masses are often left poor and naked, standing along the bare shores of currency, if they are not already drowned victims who ignorantly tried to swim against that almost almighty tide. See Proverbs 10:15; 18:11; Matthew 6:24.

#4: Know the Warning Label that comes with Money. There is nothing wrong with money as there is nothing wrong with a kitchen knife. It just depends on whose hand it's in. In the hand of a cook the kitchen knife does wonderful things to prepare a delicious meal. But in the hand of a burglar that same utensil becomes a deadly weapon. Like a kitchen knife, money is amoral; it has no morals. Money simply takes on the morals, ethics, or character of the person handling it. The primary warning about money has to do with greed or covetousness, which can lead to "the love of money...the root of all kinds of evil". Never fall in love with money; it's only a tool for getting things done. In other words, money is like a slave that you own, a slave that can do whatever you want. But don't be fool; the monetary slave can take over if the master is absent-minded, careless, carefree, undisciplined or irresponsible with money. See Job 1:21a; Ecclesiastes 6:12-13,15; Proverbs 11:28; 23:4-5; 28:20,22; Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

#5: Money Does Not Contain or Bring Happiness. In this life, happiness is only found in God through Jesus Christ, through a personal relationship with Christ. Be content with little or much money. Don't base your contentment on money. Never measure your happiness by the amount of money you have or don't have. If you are miserable, no amount of money will change that. Hint: Many rich people are depressed and many commit suicide! On the other hand, some of the happiest souls on earth have little or no money. See 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Philippians 4:11-13.

#6: You Will Give an Account to God for How You Handle Money. Since God is the Owner and you are his manager, it only makes sense that He must require from you a report of your financial stewardship. You will report to The Master concerning everything you ever did with money. Did you use money to indulge yourself, to engage in evil, to tempt others to do evil, to promote evil, to take advantage of people, to manipulate others, to show off? Or did you use money to provide for your family, to give, and to help the poor and needy or those who help meet the needs of the less fortunate in our world? See Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Keep these financial principles in mind, and you may not only earn money but actually enjoy money.

Church Discipline the Jesus Way

A fellow minister submitted the following situation and asked my input:

...There is someone from a family and the older brother died and left his girlfriend behind with a kid. One of the brothers of that family decided to fall in love with that lady and have a child by her. What does the bible say about such an attitude? How can we view this in African context?

Please explore the word and see how you and I can be a real help to such a brother in question. What's the best way out? Can they continue the relationship or separate?

Here is what I advised my friend:

In a situation like this, there are two overriding Scriptural guidelines to keep before you:

1. Showing the love of God to the ones living the ungodly lifestyle
2. Sharing the truth of God with those persons.
   

I believe that's what Paul meant by "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). Truth is the content. Love is the context. Without love, the truth comes across in a "holier than thou" manner.

Even prior to Paul, the psalmist declared the same in Psalm 85:10, as "mercy and truth ... righteousness and peace". It is also found in the first chapter of John's gospel, as "grace and truth", which Jesus Christ embodied (John 1:14,17).

In light of these two principles to uphold, there are also two extremes to avoid:

1. Legalism, an extreme form of the "truth", which is a drastic view of "church discipline" often used to humiliate and shame "the sinner". That's what the Pharisees and their ilk did to the woman in John 8. This is the soldier approach to sin; it hurts the person.
   
2. Leniency, an extreme form of Christian "love", which condones sinful conduct and disregards holiness that God requires from His people. This is the grandmother approach to sin; it spoils the object of love.
   

As you know, it is very difficult to keep Love and Truth in redemptive balance in a way which sympathizes with someone living in sin but yet maintains the holy standard of our King. May the Lord grant you and your fellow elders and deacons the wisdom to prayerfully and responsibly handle this situation with the goal of leading those involved to repent and be restored to fellowship...

I could cite Paul's letters as illustrations of church discipline (1 Corinthians 5) tempered with compassion (2 Corinthians 7:8-12), but the example of Jesus Christ incorporates those illustrations. The main thing is to be able to say what Christ said to the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you" (which is the Love, Grace and Mercy part), but also "go and sin no more" (which is the Truth, Righteousness, and Holiness angle).

President Barack Obama ~ Vice President Hillary Clinton

Journalists and pundits can't say it enough. Barack Obama becomes the first black person to win the nomination of a major political party in the history of the United States.

One of these, we'll have the first woman, the first Native American, the first Hispanic American, the first Mormon, the first homosexual, the first polygamist, and so on. But back to Obama.

Asked by CNN's Candy Crowley about whether or not he'll pick Hillary Clinton as VP, Barack delves into hitchy political speak that carefully avoids any and every land mine that sneaky reporters can plant.

One thing about not being a trained journalist or brilliant politician is that you can cut through the mud. Let's do just that.

Under tremendous pressure to not lose all those militant feminist foot soldiers of the Clinton Camp, and in the name of that political deity called Party Unity, Mr. Obama grudgingly pulls Hillary up to the VP slot. Now what?

The drama begins. First, there is that wild card, that man once photographed as "the first black president" ~ Bill Clinton. The man is losing it. What has happened to our Bill? Anger oozing out of his ears, nostrils, and who knows where else? Shouting at reporters. Cutting off supporters. Cussing. Insulting. Just being plain rude, as un-gentlemen as any man could become, not to mention a former president of the great United States.

So the popular prophecy comes true, and the Obama-Clinton ticket slams John McCain and the Republicans in November.

Now the scenarios that could unfold, a drama of politics the likes of which this nation has never seen, and no political commentator could have dreamed or drummed up.

Scenario #1: Bill Clinton, Hillary's baggage with a stench, goes wild, still chasing the girls, while remaining politically engaged, criticizing just about policy and position of President Obama. Bill continues to undercut Obama, and the things ravel out of control and spill into the public square of media frenzy. Fun is all that this scenario means.

Scenario #2: To register her opposition to Obama not signing on to the total package of her healthcare plan, Hillary Clinton resigns from the vice presidency about two years into Mr. Obama's regime.

Scenario #3: Upon her rhetorically violent resignation, Hillary Clinton begins to actively campaign against Obama, long before the 2012 presidential campaign season. Her supporters resort to holding regular street marches and protest, featuring signs that say, "Barack stole the 2008 primary elections", among others.

Scenario #4: The Democratic Party splits almost perfectly down the middle between the Clinton Camp and the Obama Camp, with 90% of blacks going with Obama. This is the Republicans wildest dream, though they'll never be a conservative party again any time soon, thanks to John McCain and his 80/20 identity in favor of Democratic ideals.

Other scenarios are certainly possible, but one involving Hillary accepting the vice presidential spot, then resigning, after gaining more political clout, would be by far among the juiciest political show of our time. Not only would that subject Obama to the worst form of public reproach, but it would display Hillary's sweetest revenge against Chicago rookie for spoiling the former first lady's all but certain coronation.

Of course, such a move would also doom Hillary's chances of ever becoming president of the United States, which means Americans do not yet need to answer the question, "What do you call the husband of the US president?"

One more thing: Since political office with accompanying power is more valuable to any real politician, especially to a Clinton, you can almost bet that Hillary Clinton will hold her nose through the humiliating years of being Obama's VP, even if it means 8 years, if she can be somehow certain she will be next in line. However, if Hillary ever gets a hint that Barack is vulnerable at anytime during his first 4 years in office, the VP will not wait for 2016, after a possible two-term Obama regime. At the first sign of Barack's weakness, Hillary, upon the reliable counsel of Mr. Clinton, will find a reason to resign and run against her former boss as early as the 2012 presidential election season. Why would she do such a thing? Because no one knows, including Hillary, how this superficial society will receive an aged woman vying for the highest office in the land.