($hour, $min, $sec) = $someTimeString =~ /(\d\d):(\d\d):(\d\d)/;

    if ($hour >= 12) {
       if ($min == 42) {
          doSomething();
       }
    }

Whereas in Python, Ruby even though it's only a tiny extra step, but that symantic distance in one's head when parsing out and naming the parts of a regex on the same is a convenience that when you get used to it, you really miss it.

    m = /(\d\d):(\d\d):(\d\d)/.match( someTimeString )
    hour = m[0]
    min  = m[1]
    sec  = m[2]
    if hour >=  ...