Bob Marley, Mos Def, Talib Kwali, Angie Stone, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, The Roots, Jimmy Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Duran Duran (you can blame my fiance for that one), Depeche Mode... the list goes on and on, pretty much anything rock, hip-hop, soul, funk, anything good.
TV is over rated, but I like Las Vegas on Friday nights. Gotta love TiVo! Damn commercials...
Angels and Demons is one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend picking up a copy.
I don't think there is room for heroes in a society as dysfunctional as ours, but if I had to choose I'd say the Dali Lama and the late Pope John II.