Vegans, avert your eyes! Everyone else, get your AEDs out because you might need them.
MANKIND from Grooks by Piet Hein
From the mouths of programmers
Now that the day is over, I can finally begin my work.
Of Grasshoppers
Student: I’ve let myself down.
Master: You aren’t alone.
Please allow your APIs to bypass 2 factor authentication – Mint and Paypal, I’m talking to you!
I use and love Mint.com. I use and love my Paypal security key. However, I cannot use the two together. Either I use mint.com without my paypal details (undesirable) or I lower the security on my Paypal account by deactivating my security key (undesirable).
Two-factor authentication (TFA, T-FA or 2FA) is an approach to authentication which requires the presentation of two different kinds of evidence that someone is who they say they are.
What is desirable is the ability for to authorize certain applications to bypass 2 factor authentication in the same way that Google Accounts allows me to bypass their 2 factor authentication for applications that I trust. So, I should be able to go into my Paypal settings and say “trust mint.com without 2 factor authentication” and it would assign a key (guid, long string of characters, whatever) specifically for mint.com that effectively would be mint’s password into my Paypal account.
To make this work, would require cooperation between Mint and Paypal of course. To see this in practice, go to Google Accounts, turn on 2 factor authentication, then set up Gmail on an iPhone, Blackberry or Android. There’s the model.
See also: Google’s Getting started with 2-step verification for a demonstration of application specific passwords.
Thank you Tea Party!
Saturday Building Projects for Children
We participate in Home Depot’s Kid’s Workshops on the first Saturday of each month.
Kids Workshop is an award-winning program that has been offered at The Home Depot stores since 1997. The workshops are free, how-to clinics designed for children ages 5-12, available on the first Saturday of each month between 9 a.m. and noon at all The Home Depot stores. Children, accompanied by an adult, use their skills to create objects that can be used in and around their homes or communities. …
- Since 1997, 17.5 million projects have been built at Kids Workshops
- More than 1 million children built their first toolbox at The Home Depot.
- More than 845,000 birdhouses have been constructed at Kids Workshops.
- 75 children per store attend a Kids Workshop on average while many stores have 200 kids attend regularly.
See also: Home Improver Club, Home Depot Blog, and Corporate Statement.
2010 Taxes Filed!
August 15th is Monday and the IRS has already accepted my 2010 tax return! Wait, what do you mean "the other month that starts with A"?
Worth 1000 Words
I keep trying to diverge from politics then people/magazines/newspapers/etc keep producing gems like this:
What is the Midwest?
Like the fuzzy definition of "West Knoxville," nobody really seems to know what makes up the Midwest. The site MidwestSportsFans.com explains. Due to Josh Tinley‘s rant on intellectual property rights, I’m hesitant to quote anything from his article other thing suggesting you read it on MidwestSportsFans.com; however, I believe this sentence is highly notable and relates to Knoxville’s bizarre definition of "West Knoxville":
The term "Midwest" comes from a bygone era when the population of the United States was so concentrated on the eastern seaboard that anything on the far side of the Alleghenies was considered western.
Go to MidwestSportsFans.com to see some maps helping to explain "Midwest."
What happened in DC?
I need a vacation
Have you written your Congressman today?
I have. Write your representative!
Obama Must Read
What we wish Obama had said by Salon is exceptional. Do read this. Seriously! This is a must read.
I’m on Scottevest’s website!
I won a Scottevest! What’s a Scottevest? Watch this video and I’ll explain. As a bonus, I’m currently on Scottevest’s website at http://www.scottevest.com/. Hint: Click the third square on the big picture just under the navigation.
You can win a Scottevest too!
Right now (ends August 8th) Scottevest is having its Summer Fun Contest (Click this link to enter!) and giving away some really cool attire including an Outback Jacket or Women’s Trench, a Travel Vest for Men or Travel Vest for Women, and a Microfleece Pullover or Women’s Q-Zip.
Click this link to enter!
Update: Bonus! I’m also one of Scottevest’s featured tweets. I owe a big thank you to Documentally for turning me onto this great company.
