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Karl Wiggins Quotes

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Famous Karl Wiggins Quotes

“Interesting how some words that hold basically the same meaning can have different connotations. Take ‘outlaw’ and ‘criminal’ for instance. ‘Outlaw’ has an almost romantic, nostalgic meaning – you tend to think of Jesse James or Robin Hood when you think of outlaws. Billy the Kid has been described as both a ‘notorious outlaw’ and a ‘beloved folk hero.’ ‘Criminal’ however has a completely different connotation. We think of muggers, burglars, armed robbers etc. Nobody really wants to have a ‘criminal’ in their family tree, but the idea of having ‘outlaw blood’ is exciting and glamorous”

CriminalsOutlawOutlawsOutlaw Heroes
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“My wife, Sue, and I once set off on a 3000-mile journey from California to New York. We drove a black Chevy Suburban, the type they call SUVs nowadays. When we could afford to we stayed in shitty little motels just off the road, with biker bars next door and ladies of the night on the corner. I remember one motel where we didn’t dare walk on the carpet barefoot, putting on our shoes to walk from the bed to the bathroom, but mostly we pulled off at rest stops and slept in the car between the big trailers where no one could see us.”

TravelTravellingTravelling QuotationsSuvAmerica The BeautifulMotel RoomsMotel HellBiker Bar
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“Much as I try not to find weirdos amongst the other passengers, I keep finding weirdos amongst the other passengers. Take this old woman yesterday, marching down the platform in front of me like she had a stick stuck up her arse. She had a face like an albino walnut. I didn’t know this at the time, of course, until I had cause to glance at her. Anyway, she was marching along talking to someone, swinging her arm about, and just as I go to overtake her she swung her hand down-and-out and hit me in the dick! I didn’t know what to do.”

Awkward EncountersThe TubeLondon UndergroundPassenger Comfort
Book:Calico Jack in your Garden
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“What about those of us who just don’t fit in, who feel as if we were born on the Wrong Planet, or in the wrong time period? Where did we come from? Is this a whole counter-culture that’s new to the planet, moving us forward? Have we finally reached the Age of Aquarius? Is it now! Is the moon in the seventh house? Has Jupiter finally aligned with Mars? And are we right now getting ready to see mystic crystal revelation where love will steer the stars? Afraid not. There have always been people who see the world differently from everyone else. And there always will be. If you’re one of the ‘chosen ones’ then you come from a long line of Gypsies, tramps and thieves, of rebels and revolutionaries, of pagans, infidels and sceptics. This is your heritage, and you have much to be proud of”

HeritageTrampsGypsiesChosen OnesChosen PeopleAge Of Aquarius
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“The majority of these old farts are content to crash out in a drunken stupor on the backbenches. They just want to pick up their company directorships at £200,000 a year, claim for everything they ever spend personally on expenses and make sure not to rock the boat. I have better things to do with my time than to waste it by voting a different yarn-spinning joker-in-the-pack in. Whoever's in power is not going to affect me in any way. And if you believe otherwise then you can truly nail your colours to the mast of stupidity”

PoliticsVotingPoliticiansHouse Of CommonsVoters And Voting
Book:100 Common Sense Policies to make BRITAIN GREAT again
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“It’s plain to see that the romance has slightly slipped from the Bohemian lifestyle. But we’re literary Gypsies, all of us, and it’s only recently that we’re starting to realise we’re not alone. The Internet is connecting all the healers and storytellers, the wild people and mystics, the writers and painters, and the ones who are slightly cracked. I’ve always loved wild people.”

Writers LifeStorytellersBohemianArtists LifeWild And FreeWriters WorldWild HeartBohemiansArtists Heart
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“If the police catch someone using their mobile phone whilst driving they should have the right to confiscate the person’s license with immediate effect, AND confiscate their car keys so they have to walk home. I don’t care if they’re 200 or 400 miles from home, take their keys off them. And no need to waste the court’s time over this one. They don’t go to court. The police should have the power to write out a year’s driving ban on the spot and force them to surrender their license. Anyone got any arguments over this one?”

PunishmentPolice PowerDriving License
Book:100 Common Sense Policies to make BRITAIN GREAT again
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“If someone’s been signing on for six months with still no sign of finding gainful employment, then in order to continue to receive their Unemployment Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance they should complete at least 30 hours of compulsory work a week with the idea being that not only do they benefit their own communities, but this would also assist them in developing basic employability skills”

BenefitsWelfareWork EthicJob SeekingWelfare Benefits
Book:100 Common Sense Policies to make BRITAIN GREAT again
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“If people are not working, then why shouldn’t they take drugs or drink booze? They can, but not when they’re signing on. And I’ll tell you why. If they’re stoned or pissed up then they’re impaired. And if they’re impaired then they can’t look for work. If you or I are impaired then we can’t work, and so WE can’t earn the money to pay THEIR benefits. So why shouldn't they be tested for drugs and alcohol to spend the money that we earn?”

BenefitsWelfareWelfare BenefitsWelfare Mindset
Book:100 Common Sense Policies to make BRITAIN GREAT again
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“Why can't unemployed people clean toilets, remove graffiti from vandalised war memorials, clear wasteland or derelict areas, or even decorate public buildings such as community centres. They could work in charity shops or down the local tip, sorting people’s rubbish out. They could even look after cemeteries, cutting the grass, hedges and shrubs, keeping gravestones clean, or maybe even laying paving slabs for a new path. Or how about putting in raised flower beds in the park?”

UnemploymentUnemployedUnemployment Jobless
Book:100 Common Sense Policies to make BRITAIN GREAT again
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“We invariably have an internalised personal code of honour, an inner voice that embodies us with a sincere, strong sense of decency that surpasses Rag, Tag & Bobtail’s acquiescence to law and ethics. Think Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Terry McCann from Minder or the heroic English folklore outlaw, Robin Hood.”

DecencyRobin HoodEthics And Moral PhilosophyEthics And MoralityCode Of HonorCaptain Jack Sparrow
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“Millwall fans are an earthy bunch, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but many of them lack social graces, and the demographics are far removed from architect’s impressions of the New Den, which is a superb ground. It must be said, however, that their chant of, “Meerrrr!” sounds more like a flock of lambs being led to the slaughter. I don’t wish to disillusion the Millwall faithful, for they may feel that the “Meerrrr!” chant makes them sound tough ….. but it doesn’t. Trust me, from the East Upper Stand it sounds more like a bleat than a roar. When we got to London Bridge – still considered to be part of the Millwall Manor – I observed a man in his late thirties (old enough to know better) give the “Meerrrrr!” bleat, and it had a strange effect on him, for he immediately started to swagger. His knees pushed out to the side, he rolled his shoulders and his face lit up with an unpleasant smirk, as if to say, “Did you see me? I said Meerrrr!”

Football SupportersMillwall
Book:Gunpowder Soup
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“West Ham's mascot is a hammer, with a big hammer head, and he goes by the name of Hammerhead. A hammer, of course, is a tool that delivers a blow with sudden impact and the heads are genuinely made of steel. The origin of a hammer as a mascot possibly stems from East London’s proud shipbuilding history and West Ham’s start in life as Thames Ironworks F.C. in the late 19th century. So a mascot dressed as a hammer is a rather imposing figure, and true to form Hammerhead never deviates from the role he his playing. He’s as broad-shouldered as he is tall, strutting around the ground with a real geezer walk and I couldn’t help but applaud the East London sense of humour. Hammerhead sets the scene for 90-minutes of banter, and I for one loved it!”

Football QuotesWest HamEast LondonWest Ham Quotes
Book:Gunpowder Soup
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“We were curious. We went seeking our tribe. And yes, I know there are people who’ll say I’m crazy. But just look at those people. Rag, Tag & Bobtail to a man. I’ll tell you about them, shall I? They’re victims of a conditioning in which authority figures such as parents, teachers, the media, religious leaders, politicians and even their mates – especially their mates actually - define what they think. Their cultural values define their beliefs and ultimately the way they perceive themselves, and so when they call me crazy, I take it as quite a compliment. My mind, trust me, is deeper than most Rag Tags would ever dare to swim.”

TribesCultural Values
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“We drove through Utah, the Crossroads of the West, bordered by all the mountain states, except for Montana. Laying rooted in the backcountry we saw some of the most awe-inspiring groove gulleys we’d ever seen, but it was the intensity of Zion National Park that held our attention; The red rock backdrop dazzled us as brutal rapids nose-dived off the cliffs into pools surrounded by abundant green piñon-juniper forests and fiery peach and coral sandstone canyons carved by flowing rivers and streams. It would honestly not have surprised me to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid plunging from an unforgiving precipice into the river below.”

UtahZions National ParkButch Cassidy Sundance Kid
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“We’re all familiar with the Hippie dress code. Long hair, beards, psychedelic colours, sandals, lots of beads, and the women could often be seen wearing long, flowery granny dresses. So much so in fact that it became a uniform. Hippies rebelled so much against inflexible dress codes that eventually they created their own rigid styles. Hippies mutinied so much against conformity that over the course of time they were forced to play the game and comply with what everyone else was wearing. The counter-culture became a counter-counter-culture. Everyone was the same”

ConformityHippiesConformity And AttitudeHippie EraHippyHippy Fashions
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“The original Hippies were cool because it was who they were. But the ‘movement’ grew in numbers because it became the 'in thing’ to do. And sad as it is, most of them were plastic Hippies. The original Beatniks did what they did not because they were ‘hip’ but because it was who they were as a person. These were Carefree Scamps, but the plastic Hippies weren’t carefree at all And besides that, they smelled like an Oxfam shop”

BeatnikHippiesHippie Era
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“I last visited White Hart Lane in early February 2016, and as I took my seat, after a few pints in the (TV-less) concourse, in the upper tier of the South-West corner I couldn’t help but notice the tumbleweed rolling around the ground. The stony silence from areas of the ground where I would normally expect the home fans to be sitting was deafening, and the whole ground was reminiscent of a ghost town. Whenever the magnificent Watford support ceased singing for a brief second or two I could hear the hollow, dry wind, and I found the desolate, dry and humourless atmosphere all rather eerie. But here’s the weird thing. If I squinted my eyes it almost appeared as if 36,000 people were sitting in seats around the ground, and the only conclusion I could draw was that it just one guy and that it was all done with mirrors.”

SpursFootball FanFootball SupportersTottenham Hotspur FcWatford F CWhite Hart Lane
Book:Gunpowder Soup
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“Several Watford supporters disgracefully started leaving the ground, and the Arsenal surprised us by adding another chant to their repertoire – making a total of two chants if my mathematics serves me correctly. 'You might as well go home.' What they don’t realise, of course, is that we are home. Watford’s not a pretty place, but its home. I live a half-hour walk from Vicarage Road. The chant went up from our end, 'We support our local team,' which always shuts up Premiership supporters from Borehamwood, Radlett and Surrey, no matter which of the top four teams they follow.”

ArsenalFootball SupportersWatford F CFootball Chants
Book:Gunpowder Soup
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“Allow me to say that if you view highwaymen as legendary and romantic figures, then I’m with you. But let me make it absolutely clear that if you’re a low life thief, beating up old ladies, or you’re stealing from your parents to fund your drug addiction, or you’re some kind of serial mugger, and you’re thinking, “Yeah, Dat’s bangin' mate!! Highwaymen is ol me bledrins, innit! Yo Yo Yo, I have no beef with highwaymen! Innit?” then the difference between a despicable and reprehensible low life like yourself and a gentleman highwayman who was well-dressed, well-mannered, an excellent horseman and who used threats rather than actual violence is wider than the gap between your ears, which trust me is pretty wide. I’ll give you that as a caveat”

HighwaymenChavs
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“For the Gypsy, it’s moments in time that count, not interpretations or rhetorical questions or resolutions or justifications, and not even the journey’s end, for the journey never ends. Just moments in time. They are born for disappearing”

Moments In TimeJourney QuotesJourney Of Self DiscoveryJourney In LifeGypsiesGypsy SoulDisappearingGypsy LifeDisappearing Time
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“Edie Sedgwick didn’t really fit in on this planet. She didn’t fit in anywhere. She’d spent years in mental institutions, she took far too many drugs and yet she was destined to make an impression on just about everyone who ever met her, so much so that they wanted to write about her, sing about her, put her photos on album covers and, of course, film her.”

Edie Sedgwick
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“At the tender age of 19 Bessie Stringfield commenced traveling across the United States. She’d toss a penny onto a map of the States and wherever it landed was where she’d go, and this was at the height of racism at its ugliest, yet this never stopped her. Though often denied accommodation because of the colour of her skin, she would find a place to sleep with black families or, if this wasn’t possible, she’d simply sleep on her motorbike at filling stations, using her rolled up jacket as a pillow”

Black WomenBiker Women
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“We passed the great arid deserts of the West, driving through canyons and beneath rocky outcroppings and over great crevasses. We drove through the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley and Death Valley, and the dust entered our bloodstream and flowed through to every part of our body. The West was both eerie and breathtakingly beautiful, and we wanted to live there forever.”

Desert QuotesDesertsMojave DesertDeath Valley
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“As a Wrong Planet person you may at times appear to be unsociable. You’re often dispassionate when it comes to the activities of others because they seem so mediocre to you. You sometimes find it disappointing to make friends with people who you just can’t relate to. And because of this from time to time you find yourself alone, although you don’t mind this. It’s simply that people don’t always cut it for you”

MediocrityAlone But Not LonelyMediocre MindsPeople SuckMediocre PeopleUnsociable
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“He was incorrigible, yet you can’t help but love him. His devil-may-care attitude, his brash nature and his vivaciousness aligned with his self-assertive and fearless nature gave birth to a Star who most people will, never, ever see the likes of. People like Sixteen-String Jack are wild, untameable and impossible to forget.”

UntameableDevil May CareFearlessness QuotesIncorrigibilityVivacious Life
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“I’m well aware that it’s been suggested by various left-wing, vegetarian, lycra-wearing do-gooders with their little pimply arses that Chavs are a consequence of a terribly unjust society. From time to time it can seem like an unjust society, no argument there, and Chavs may well be a consequence, but people who lack fire in their belly and an earnest desire to improve their situation should never be permitted to treat that as an excuse. The second they start blaming society is the very second they disempower themselves.”

Society ProblemSociety S Increasing StupidityChavs
Book:Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe
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“Why should we pay a percentage of the bill in a restaurant as a tip? If I order a beefburger for £12 and you order a steak for £38 does it require any extra effort on behalf of the waiter to bring your steak from the kitchen than it does to carry my beefburger? No, and yet at 12.5% you’ll pay £4.75 tip while I’ll only be expected to pay £1.50. For the same amount of work. And the same holds true if you order a more expensive bottle of wine than me”

TippingTips
Book:Gunpowder Soup
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“People in the service industry work for low wages and tips help to boost that income, and I have absolutely no issue with that. But it should be what you feel is reasonable, not a percentage of the amount of food you can stuff in your face. But why do we tip some people and not others? It seems we’re expected to tip waitresses, cab drivers, barbers and yet not midwives or nurses. We tip a waitress for bringing us a meal, yet we don’t tip a barman for serving us a pint. Okay, we might occasionally say, '… And one for yourself,' to the barman but even that’s mostly dying out nowadays”

TippingTips
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