There are tons of things that annoy me, as many of you know. However, in the spirit of the season I thought I’d mention some of the things that I thought were actually positive in 2007. Part of the inspiration for this list came from PHX who commented on The Black

[Dad] List: Year in Review. I’ll admit that the “nice” list was a little harder for me to come up with than the “naughty” list. But in the end I think I like this one more. Here’s the list is in no particular order:

1. Oprah – She puts her money where her mouth is. She opened a school for girls in Africa earlier this year and we can’t let controversy overshadow that kind of philanthropy. She is a passionate and a powerful symbol of how hard work can lead to unimaginable success and respect. Plus, as she has proven through stumping for Obama, she’s fearless.

2. Roland G. Fryer – This young black man is changing the face of economics and the way we think about achievement in education in poor African American communities. I had a chance to see him speak a couple of months ago at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture here in NYC and he was riveting. I’m such a groupie.

3. Barack Obama – He’s running for president. He may be the best chance at a significant change that this country will get. I’m ready for change.

4. BlackMaleAppreciation.com – I’ve been thrilled by the amount of inspirational news and information this site has been able to uncover. I put this site on my blogroll when it first started because it was such a great idea, and they are still doing excellent work.

5. Master P – This year Master P started Take a Stand Records along with his son. His label will focus on positive, vulgarity free Hip-Hop, which is revolutionary in its concept. He wants to be part of the solution and I think we should support his efforts.

6. The people that read, comment, and listen to the stuff on this blog. I get about 600 unique visits a day to the blog, I am nearing the 1000 mark in comments, and I get over 14,000 podcast downloads a month. The FatherDad movement is in full swing and I owe it all to those of you out there in cyberspace that continue to support it. This blog transcends race and gender (special thanks to the moms!) in a way that I could have never predicted.

7. House – Once a week this show helps me unwind in a way that no other show can. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s melodramatic (in a good way). This is how TV is supposed to be.

8. Watching The Waters and the Johnson-McCormick Family – Between these two families seven Haitian children have been adopted over the last few years. Heather and Braydon are the parents of a handsome set of twins. Mrs. Incredible and her husband have welcomed five (yes I said five!) kids into their homes. They aren’t rich and famous, just full of love. They make Brad and Angie look like lightweights.

9. My son – Devin is the inspiration for most of the things that I do. I love him like no other.

10. All the regular everyday dads that simply love fatherhood and everything that comes with it. You guys make me believe that there really is a hope for the nuclear family in general, and the black family specifically.

What (or who) inspired, or otherwise had a positive affect on you in 2007?