# http://stackoverflow.com/q/8697079/5290909
x <- "I like %$@to*&, chew;: gum, but don't like|}{[] bubble@#^)( gum!?"
gsub("[^'[:^punct:]]", "", x, perl=T)
#[1] "I like to chew gum but don't like bubble gum"
IyBodHRwOi8vc3RhY2tvdmVyZmxvdy5jb20vcS84Njk3MDc5LzUyOTA5MDkKCnggPC0gIkkgbGlrZSAlJEB0byomLCBjaGV3OzogZ3VtLCBidXQgZG9uJ3QgbGlrZXx9e1tdIGJ1YmJsZUAjXikoIGd1bSE/Igpnc3ViKCJbXidbOl5wdW5jdDpdXSIsICIiLCB4LCBwZXJsPVQpCgojWzFdICJJIGxpa2UgdG8gY2hldyBndW0gYnV0IGRvbid0IGxpa2UgYnViYmxlIGd1bSI=