*when I actually * *type it I get an error msg*
Did you type python commands in a bash console? In case you did, you should run python interactive console instead. Just type python in terminal window and than you'll be able interactively run statements. If you have your script saved in a file, for instance, script.py, to run it on your Mac you should type: $ python script.py It would be easier to understand you if you'll post errors messages here.
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