Weekly Meanderings, 30 July 2021
Good morning!
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – Hate trying to keep track of all your passwords? They may one day be a thing of the past.
Advances in biometrics, multifactor authentication (MFA) and other technological advances are slowly making them unnecessary.
Scott Schaffer, chief information security officer with Blade Technologies, explained that between the late 1990s and early 2000s, a six- to eight-character password was all that was needed to protect a system. He said it could take years to crack a password of that length.
There are now more powerful computers and more advanced algorithms that can crack an eight-character password in less than three hours.
Schaffer said more recently, he has advised clients to use a password manager and have a longer, more unique password for each website. However, he said, the more powerful computers that are around the corner won’t be enough for a 12-15 character password.
So what does a world without passwords look like?
Schaffer points to a future with Version 2 of FIDO (Fast Identity Online), or FIDO2.
The technology allows individuals to use a digital unlock system, such as Face ID or Touch ID on a smartphone, or a voice or PIN on a device, to authenticate users. The framework works across Windows, Mac, and Android. This would only have to be done once.
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A Waffle House employee got a surprise when a country music star left a generous tip after his to-go meal.
The artist noticed Shirell “Honey” Lackey performing double duties, caring for her daughter at work while tending to customers at the restaurants.
That night, Lackey worked a double shift at the Greensboro Waffle House from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.
The big tipper, who Lackey wants to keep anonymous, left her $1,000 after someone from his entourage tipped her $50 and told the musician the story of Lackey’s work ethic right before he ordered his to-go meal.
Lackey said after she noticed the tip, he also gave her some words of encouragement.
“He was like, ‘I have to respect a mother that would do whatever it takes to support their child in a society where people don’t even want to work anymore,'” Lackey said.
CHICAGO — It began as a way to reduce his prison sentence by enrolling in an agricultural program.
Now with a newfound passion for urban farming, David Edwards is working to make healthy, fresh produce accessible for his community. He is one of Chicago’s Very Own.
The last thing Edwards thought he would be doing is growing vegetables in his Garfield Park neighborhood.
“Cucumbers, asparagus, a couple of heirloom tomatoes, and we have cherry tomatoes as well as corn,” Edwards said.
This is Harvest Commons Urban Farm. It’s connected to the ‘Smooth and Social Roots Café’ that he recently opened. It’s a unique dining experience where customers choose the produce that will garnish their menu selection right from the garden.
If they’re ordering eggs, they get to choose which one directly from the farm’s chicken coop.
“The customers are very interactive with everything we do here,” Edwards said.
(AP) — Although the pandemic disrupted family life across the U.S. since taking hold in spring 2020, some parents are grateful for one consequence: They’re now opting to homeschool their children, even as schools plan to resume in-person classes.
The specific reasons vary widely. Some families who spoke with The Associated Press have children with special educational needs; others seek a faith-based curriculum or say their local schools are flawed. The common denominator: They tried homeschooling on what they thought was a temporary basis and found it beneficial to their children.
“That’s one of the silver linings of the pandemic – I don’t think we would have chosen to homeschool otherwise,” said Danielle King of Randolph, Vermont, whose 7-year-old daughter Zoë thrived with the flexible, one-on-one instruction. Her curriculum has included literature, anatomy, even archaeology, enlivened by outdoor excursions to search for fossils.
The surge has been confirmed by the U.S. Census Bureau, which reported in March that the rate of households homeschooling their children rose to 11% by September 2020, more than doubling from 5.4% just six months earlier.
Black households saw the largest jump; their homeschooling rate rose from 3.3% in the spring of 2020 to 16.1% in the fall.
A colossal problem with algae bloom in Tampa:
Tampa Bay, Florida — Beaches near Tampa have been littered with dead sea creatures, killed by a massive algae bloom that marine scientists say has been worsened by pollution.
Tyler Capella, who runs a fishing charter business, took CBS News out on Tampa Bay to see what he calls his nightmare. Dead fish are everywhere, killed by a red tide that has turned Tampa Bay toxic.
"This just goes forever," Capella said. "It's devastating. My worst fears have come true. I mean, this is an absolute nightmare."
Capella is documenting the fish kill to pressure elected officials to help. He even covered himself in dead fish.
"Dead fish as far as you could see in every direction, big ones, small ones," he said. "Looked like a bomb had gone off."
Also in Florida, the annual Hemingway look-alike contest.
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — The 40th edition of an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest opened Thursday night at an iconic Key West bar once frequented by the author, marking the return of a contest canceled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 70 stocky, bearded men resembling the late writer competed in the first of two preliminary rounds at Sloppy Joe’s Bar. The contest’s second preliminary round is set for Friday and the 2021 winner is to be chosen Saturday night.
The three-night contest is a cornerstone of the island’s Hemingway Days festival, staged around the literary legend’s July 21 birthday to salute his writing talent, legacy and adventurous life. Hemingway lived and wrote on the subtropical island for most of the 1930s.