I've been a fan since I heard the opening notes of "Punish My Heaven" back in 1996/1997 when I was a mere 13 or 14. I hold down a full and part time job (living in NYC, college loans, and a Bachelor's in history = being broke) and I'm a revolutionary Marxist. I maintain a political blog:
http://prisonerofstarvation.blogspot.com
My other favorite musicians are: the Circled Ruins, Arcturus, Ulver, At the Gates, (old) Opeth, Old In Flames, old Satyricon, Klimt 1918, old Old Man's Child, Agalloch, some Amorphis, Emperor, Ihsahn, Peccatum, late Dissection, Fear Factory, Thorns of the Carrion, From the Depths, later Hypocrisy, old Metallica, early Sepultura, Slipknot, old Offspring, Dead Kennedys, Weezer, some Green Day, the Pogues, some NOFX, Eternity Void, old Cryptopsy, some Bal-Saggoth, Agiel, Papoose, the Game, Bishop Lamont, Big L, Lupe Fiasco, Joe Budden, and Rhymefest.
Oh almost forgot: I've been playing guitar since I was 13 as well. I'm pretty good but not much of a song writer.