Though it may often seem the world divides along language lines, there are plenty of folks who use multiple languages, each suited for a particular task. Perl is great for string hacking, and this article shows how to set up a framework to quickly and easily use Perl (or any Shell command, really) on the current Word selection:
http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2005/05/26/word_control.html%5B/url%5D
Enjoy!