Overcoming herpetophobia (or what's up w/ Python scopes)?

[kj]

I'm a Perlhead (there, I said it).  Years ago I made a genuine
attempt to learn Python, but my intense disappointed with the way
Python deals with scopes ultimately sapped my enthusiasm.  I couldn't
live without closures and without the fine control over scopes that
Perl provides.

I've been wanting to make another attempt to (re)learn Python for
a while, but this scopes business remained a major damper.  What's
pushing me over my reluctance is having to work with a large in-house
package developed in Python.

I am hoping that it may be better this time around.  For one thing,
like Perl, Python was then (and maybe still is) a "work in progress."
So I figure that Python scoping may have improved since then.  Even
if not, I think that Python is mature enough by now that adequate
alternatives must have been devised for the Perlish features that
I missed during my first attempt.

My question is: is there any tutorial on Python scoping aimed at
diehard Perlheads?

Thanks!

kj

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