Are there any Python classes on the horizon? I’d love to sign up if there is.
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Not sure at the space, but the ones on Codecademy are pretty great + free 
Ya. Those are good. I like the human interaction though of a classroom. Stimulates my brain more
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If a DMS Python class doesn’t materialize in the near future (or even if it does), I highly recommend the MITx Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python on edX. It’s the best online course I’ve taken (am taking - two more weeks remaining). The combination of lecture content, exercises intermixed with lecture segments, the automated grading infrastructure and discussion forums are top notch. After playing/hacking occasionally with python this course has required me to write write/study/analyze enough python just to keep pace that I’m feeling much more comfortable with it.
Each week has two different lectures, between an 45 minutes to an hour each. Each of these is broken into smaller segments of 3-12 minutes each, with ‘finger’ exercises interspersed. There is a problem set assigned for each week with a hard deadline. If you don’t make the deadline, though, you can still have the problem set graded in the sandbox - you just won’t get credit in the course progress tracker.
In the next session (starting August 30) they are switching from python 2.7 to 3.5.
For an IDE/dev environment I recommend pycharm, which has a free community edition that will have everything you need. All of the usual debugging tools - breakpoints, local variable inspection, conditional breakpoints, … are available. Also cross platform - Windows, linux, OS X. One of the nice things about pycharm is that you can select which of the installed python interpreters you want to use on a project-by-project basis. Also has integrated pip install functionality, for installing new packages but haven’t used that yet. I believe pycharm also supports virtual python environments, another area yet to be explored.
A couple of good python podcasts are ‘Talk Python to Me’ and ‘podcast.init’
The intro/outro music on Talk Python to Me is a bit of a giggle. Developers by Smixx is rap/hip-hop for codeheads that features a sampled Steve Balmer for the chorus/hook line.
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I’m taking the same course right now - just wrapped up the problem sets and getting ready for the final this weekend. Iv’e really enjoyed it and I agree with you that it is both challenging and seductive. I’ve found the online TA’s to be very helpful. Definitely stretched my abilities far more than skimming through yet another programming text and imagining that I could do it. Looking forward to the second part of the course this Fall!