"The pen is mightier than the sword" always meant to me that violence could be overcome through words -- that thought and knowledge would bring peace.

But as I've watched the world the last few years I'm realizing how simply and incompletely I understood the phrase. Language is not good or evil; it is simply powerful. Its power is to make us *do*, in the service of good, or evil, or love, or hate.

The pen is mightier than the sword, in that one word can raise a thousand swords.

Sneaking an hour to have a #pipe, since I was going to have lunch with a friend who had car trouble and had to cancel. It's only 19 degF here so any pipes must happen while the sun is up and my #smoking lounge (aka my car) is above freezing inside!

Having a tobacco blend I forgot I had, by a company that is no longer in business, McClelland's Penman's Choice. It's a mix of cavendish and burley with a traditional casing and a coffee topping, maybe a slight hint of cherry. Quite nice!

Re-acquainting myself with the #concertina is fun. I figured out the pinky pain issues I was having last time I played -- I have a habit of trying to straighten and flatten out my pinky to hold the instrument more securely, when I think I need to keep it curled along with my other fingers.

There is one slightly reluctant reed that I still need to tweak so it sounds along with the others, too. But overall it's nice to see I can progress.