I remember the days, or nights actually, that I could finish dinner, pour a glass of merlot and settle on the couch for an hour or more of quality prime-time television.

There was always a new episode of The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock, or House or Heroes or something entertaining.

The Networks saved a few unseen episodes for 2008, but most of the television this year has been repeat after repeat, forcing TV junkies like myself to scroll down to HBO or Showtime and watch old 80s movies starring Christian Slater.

And that's why the No. 1 Comeback in 2008 should be the Hollywood writers now on strike, holding out for a bigger slice of the new-media pie.

It's only a matter of time. Strikes never last forever. But I don't know how long I can stand seeing Christian Slater play the I'm-too-cool-for-school role.

Second on my Comeback list for '08 would have to be hope in the American Dream.

I know it sounds hokey. But hear me out. Sen. Barack Obama has a way of making me feel as though the U.S. government is not made up entirely of greedy, corrupt, war-mongering, indulgent religious fanatics.

When I hear him speak about hope and the importance of believing things can and will change, it restores my faith in the American Dream and the unwaivering spirit of independence and self-examination that's built our society.

And with a victory in Iowa and the current push in New York, Obama has a great chance of becoming the next Democratic nominee for President, and therefore, a comeback for hope is also very probable.

Next on my list is a return of the booming and robust of economy of the mid-1990s when the dot-com bubble and Internet technologies made anything seem possible. For this to happen, we need innovation and invention. We need science and technology to get creative and find that next big breakthrough. This one is entirely possible.

Being a dedicated fan of hip hop music and culture for more than a decade, at No. 4 on my Comeback yearnings list is good, lyrically-rich music AND top-notch production. The Dirty South revolution of the last few years has brought a new level of beatsmithing to the hip hop game but the lyrics and messages have suffered. Everyone wants to make a ringtone hit with a catchy hook that doesn't say anything. Case in point, Hurricane Chris' "Hey Bay Bay" or Soldier Boy's "Crank Dat." This one is definitely not likely as the new generation of hip hop fans (18 and under) don't want to hear anything of substance. I weep for the youth. To recharacterize, I want to see Nas' new album, N*gga, go platinum.

Numbers five through eight are all pie-in-the-sky yearnings. No. 5 - the return of close-cropped men's haircuts instead of the shaggy Beatles look kids sport now (I'm slowly going bald so the shorter the style the better). No. 6 - the return of Michael Vick to the football field - and No. 7 - bring Martha Stewart back the big house.

Second to last, I'd like to see the largest voter turnout ever in the 2008 presidential election. Let's rid our souls of apathy people.

If there's anything the last eight years should have taught us, it's that the man (and political party) elected to the Whitehouse does make a difference and effect our everyday lives. This may be a lofty yearning, but totally probable.

Lastly, we should send all of our kids, especially the cool ones, to school with those metal lunch boxes that have pictures of 80s cartoon characters like He-Man, Thundercats and the Carebears. Bring those babys back in 2008. They may even stop a bullet from piercing little Billy's heart.

Learn more about this author, Joel Addington.
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