Music, muscle cars, Harleys, and of course, MUSIC.
I will also say that all the rascist and prejudiced people suck. Everyone else is beautiful.
Other hard rockin headbangin music and art addicts in the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois area.
Geez, I couldn't possibly list all my favorites. Not going anywhere for awhile? Because there are just sooo many genres and bands/artists I love. But just for starters:
Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer, Bad Company, Megadeth, Metallica, Death, Celtic Frost, Hallows Eve, Helstar, Iced Earth, Queensryche, Fates Warning, Kreator, KMFDM, Sanctuary, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Manowar, Forbidden, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Styx, Cannibal Corpse, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Cycle Sluts From Hell, Candlemass, Darkane, Saint Vitus, Sepultura, Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar, Hypocrisy, Aeolus, Tim Skold, Rush, Siouxie Sioux and the Banshees, Insane Clown Posse, Meliah Rage, Misfits, Danzig, Type O Negative, Lords of Acid, Crisis, Cirith Ungol, Nevermore, Accept, Overkill, Annhilator, Possessed, Rainbow, Lacuna Coil, Ministry, Suicidal Tendencies, Immortal, Powermad, Vio-lence, Testament, Satyricon, Venom, Sodom, Cradle of Filth, Metal Church, Anthrax, Pantera, Savatage, Nuclear Assault, S.O.D., Paradise Lost, Sacred Reich, Dio, F5, and course the mighty Dethklok!
SOME KICKASS LOCAL (Wisconsin/Illinois/Minnesota) BANDS YOU REALLY SHOULD CHECK OUT! Morbid Saint, Urn (u.s.), Fogcrawler, Dad the Plow, Chainsnap, Soulkeep, Blacklist, Fatal Agenda, A Tortured Soul, Obscuria, Rune, Flat Atom, The Vintage Burning, Cobz Web, Kennedy Road, Agnus Jackson, Lot 74, Discord, Malice In Wonderland, Witch Beulah, Lords of Discipline, Harsh Reality, Worm, Project 44, Black Crossroad, Venus DeMars, Sacred Dawn, Underground Day1, Redomacy, Mother Hive Syndicate, Futureghost. More to come!
Monty Python's The Holy Grail, all the Resident Evil flicks, Full Metal Jacket, Army of Darkness, all of the Saw flicks, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and 3, Shaun of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, anything either insanely gory or hilariously funny. Or both! Zombies rule! Actually, there's a ton of movies out that I think simply kicks ass. I love to laugh, yet I yearn to be horrified....extra bonus points if it makes me pee a little.
I don't have much time for TV. I will make the effort to watch for either hilarious or educational shows. Metalocolypse, Dexter, South Park, Family Guy, the Red Green Show, the History Channel, Penn & Teller's Bullshit!, Masters of Horror series, House, Mythbusters, Dr. Who. Not into any of those fad "reality series" shows. Other than that, I really don't watch much of the tube.
Brave New World, most anything by John Carpenter, Anne Rice, Stephen King short stories.
Guitar Influences (of course):
Jimi Hendrix (R.I.P), Yngwie Malmsteen, Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P), Dave Mustaine, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Vinnie Moore, Alex Skolnick, Chris Poland, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, Dimebag (R.I.P), George Lynch, Marty Friedman, Brad Gillis, Dave Chandler, Andy LaRocque, Tony Iommi, Lars Johannson, Mats Bjorkman, Tom G. Warrior, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Scott Ian, Mantas, Randy Rhoads (R.I.P), Stevie Ray Vaughn (R.I.P), and Toki Wartooth.
And anyone who earns their living by actually DOING something creative. Here's a hint: Having to take a shower AFTER work instead of BEFORE work is a good sign you are actually WORKING. Because sitting behind a table at some board meeting greedily discussing how to further increase your already lucrative profits will never make you a hero.
Get your hands and clothes dirty, you suckass yuppie! Sir, choke on your tie. Ma'am, get your smartly pin-striped dress caught in some big piece of machinery. Yeah, baby! WhooHooo!
Wanna be my Hero? Then just create something tangible. Paint something, make something, write something, compose something, play something. DO something, and express yourself and your art.