Music, Movies, Sitcoms,& Literature. And video games (3 of my favorites being Suikoden 2, Chrono Trigger, & Marvel Vs Capcom 2)
Tim Kinsella, Kurt Vonnegut, & David Cross
Joan Of Arc (and other Tim Kinsella Bands), Milemarker (and their previous bands) The Elephant 6 Collective, The Mountain Goats, Fugazi, Black Eyes, Aesop Rock, Bob Dylan, Built To Spill, Atmosphere, Sage Francis, Drive Like Jehu, Karate (Geoff Farina in general), Beck, Beach Boys, Cannibal Ox, Elevator to Hell, Born Against, I Hate Myself, (Early) Promise Ring, Jawbreaker/Jets To Brazil, Tom Waits, Wilco/Uncle Tupelo, Braid, Crass, El-P, Neil Young, RJD2, The Clash, The Pixies, TV On The Radio, Sole, Dose One, Alias, Why?, cLOUDEAD, Ugly Casanova, Summer Set, did I mention Tim Kinsella yet? God the list could keep going forever and ever but if you've read all this so far I've wasted enough of your time...
Clerks, Melvin Goes To Dinner, High Fidelity, The Delicate Art Of The Rifle, & The City Of God, and last but certainly not least, Dunston Checks In
Arrested Development, Newsradio, Mr. Show, The Office (British Version), The Wire, & Home Movies (Adult Swim in general rules, but I'm kinda bored with Family Guy), Sports Night, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Growing Pains.
Any Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Or Joseph Heller. I also advise reading The Burn Collector by Al Burian
The ones whose tales end in tragedy.