I have a thing I do which I like to call "Artificial Stupidity". That is, I like to take a naive implementation and see how far it can get me. Chances are I'll do it in perl. If I need to do some more serious statistics or visualisation with it I'll haul out R. I have not yet had the opportunity to bring some python into the mix, but that's 50% lack of opportunity and 50% that I'v not yet found a normal general purpose computing activity I can't do with perl.