Um. metal and ting. African politics and the lack thereof, quality cinema, travelling about and having a look, sick jokes, good times surrounded by friends. That sort of thing.
No one in particular, really. I've met a few of my "heroes" in the past and it's never what it's cracked up to be.
In no particular order.... Opeth, Emperor, Forest Stream, Korpse, Drudkh, Libido Airbag, Razor, Autopsy, Mekong Delta, Symphony X, Dream Theater, Death Breath, Repulsion, Vader, Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Slayer, NON, Death, Discharge, Farmakon, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Amon Amarth, Pain of Salvation, Blasphemy, AC/DC, Deathspell Omega, Heresy, Profanatica, Mayhem, Chain of Strength, Hate Forest, Summoning, Hollenthon, Virgin Black, Dashboard Confessional, Sensefield, Ripcord, Darkthrone, The Provenance, Nunwhore Commando 666, Naked Whipper, Brodequin, Hellacopters, Turbonegro, Anti-System, Crucifix, Larm, Seige, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Melechesh, Nomeansno, Bad Religion, Atrox, Hatebreed, Unexpect, Buffalo Tom and so it goes on...and on...and on
I have an obscene amount of Horror and World Cinema DVDs, and my favorite films include Oldboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Hero, The Lives of Others, Fearless, Ju-On, City of God, Goodfellas, House of the Flying Daggers, August Underground Trilogy, Cannibal Holocaust, Salvador, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Lady Vengence, Aftermath, Lucker the Necrophagist, South Park: The Movie, Borat, Harold and Kumar, Kung Fu Hustle, Evil Dead trilogy, The Warriors, The Devil's Backbone and LOADS more I can't think of right now.
The Wire, House MD, Masters of Horror, Heroes, Desperate Housewives, Trap Door, 24, The Sopranos, South Park, Strutter, Modern Toss, Brass Eye, Jam, Peep Show, The Office (UK), QI, The Wire, Ren & Stimpy, Father Ted, Happy Tree Friends, My New Best Friend, Nighty Night, The Wire, Cracker, Prime Suspect, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Frasier, Banzai, My Name is Earl, The Wire (yes, it's THAT good) etc, etc.
Mainly non-fiction. Favorite writers include Peter Sotos, Charlie Brooker, George Tabb, Guy Delisle, Johnny Ryan, Augusten Burroughs, Koji Suzuki, Martin Amis, John King, Robert Young Pelton, Jim Goad, John Niven, Craig Brown and many more.
Joey Deacon, Mike Strutter, Joel Peter-Witkin,