Art school had taught me it was far better to be a flamboyant failure than any kind of benign success.

The popularity of punk rock was, in effect, due to the fact that it made ugliness beautiful.

Be childish. Be irresponsible. Be disrespectful. Be everything this society hates.

What matters is this: Being fearless of failure arms you to break the rules. In doing so, you may change the culture and just possibly, for a moment, change life itself.

To be a flamboyant failure, that's better than being any kind of benign success

Don't kill the golden goose.

Punk's influence on music, movies, art, design and fashion is no longer in doubt. It is used as the measurement for what is cool.

I've always embraced failure as a noble pursuit. It allows you to be anti whatever anyone wants you to be, and to break all the rules.

Stealing things is a glorious occupation, particularly in the art world.

Try managing a junkie - especially if you've never been one yourself.

What are the politics of boredom?

The multiple failures of top-down design, and the omnipresence of unintended consequences, can be attributed in large part, to the absence of relevant information.

There's a world of difference between, "Look at this mess you made!" and "I don't like to see food on the floor!

I never trust people's assertions, I always judge of them by their actions.

The world's a poor standard. any society which is free of hunger and violence looks bright against that background.

Compassion is not having any hesitation to reflect your light on things

You either have a great social life and shitty taste in music, or a fantastic taste in music with barely any social life.

Nothing in the cry of cicadas suggests they are about to die

Death smells like homemade applesauce as it cooks on the stove. It is not the strangling scent of illness. It is not fear. It is freedom.

I do have a concern about projecting. I've never projected or had any reason to project before. In fact, the camera has only gotten closer to me going from TV to film.

I am never merry when I hear sweet music.