diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15584ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.pyc
diff --git a/auth.py b/auth.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..734da4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/auth.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# vi:si:et:sw=4:sts=4:ts=4
+# GPL 2009
+# Happily copied from https://launchpad.net/python-ox
+#
+import os
+
+def get(key):
+    user_auth = os.environ.get('oxAUTH', os.path.expanduser('~/.ox/auth.json'))
+    auth = {}
+    if os.path.exists(user_auth):
+        f = open(user_auth, "r")
+        data = f.read()
+        f.close()
+        auth = json.loads(data)
+    if key in auth:
+        return auth[key]
+    print "please add key %s to json file '%s'" % (key, user_auth)
+    raise Exception,"no key %s found" % key
+
+def update(key, value):
+    user_auth = os.environ.get('oxAUTH', os.path.expanduser('~/.ox/auth.json'))
+    auth = {}
+    if os.path.exists(user_auth):
+        f = open(user_auth, "r")
+        data = f.read()
+        f.close()
+        auth = json.loads(data)
+    auth[key] = value
+    f = open(user_auth, "w")
+    f.write(json.dumps(auth, indent=2))
+    f.close()
+
diff --git a/lymbix.py b/lymbix.py
index deb4da8..a689f78 100644
--- a/lymbix.py
+++ b/lymbix.py
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 import urllib2
 import json
 
+import auth
 class Lymbix:
-  
+
   API_BASE = 'https://gyrus.lymbix.com/';
   TONALIZE_MULTIPLE = 'tonalize_multiple';
   TONALIZE_DETAILED = 'tonalize_detailed';
@@ -16,41 +17,41 @@ def __init__(self, authentication_key):
         -authentication_key: your Lymbix authentication key
     '''
     if authentication_key == None or len(authentication_key) == 0:
-      raise Exception('You must include your authentication key')
-    
+      #raise Exception('You must include your authentication key')
+      self.authentication_key = auth.get('lymbix_api_key')
     self.authentication_key = authentication_key
-  
+
   ''' utility functions '''
-  
+
   def _get_headers(self):
     headers = {
       'Authentication': self.authentication_key,
       'Accept': 'application/json',
       'Version': '2.2'}
     return headers
-  
+
   ''' api methods '''
-  
+
   def tonalize_multiple(self, articles, options = None):
     '''
     tonalize multiple articles
-    
+
     Args:
         -articles: articles to tonalize
         -options: additional parameters (reference_ids and return_fields)
-        
+
     Returns:
         -see the api documentation for the format of this object
     '''
     if articles == None or len(articles) == 0:
       raise Exception('You must include articles to tonalize')
-  
+
     url = self.API_BASE + self.TONALIZE_MULTIPLE
     data = {'articles': articles}
     if options != None: data.update(options)
     for key, value in data.iteritems(): data[key] = json.dumps(value)
     data = urllib.urlencode(data)
-    
+
     headers = self._get_headers()
     request = urllib2.Request(url, data, headers)
     response = urllib2.urlopen(request)
@@ -59,48 +60,48 @@ def tonalize_multiple(self, articles, options = None):
   def tonalize_detailed(self, article, options = None):
     '''
     tonalize an article
-    
+
     Args:
         -article: article to tonalize
         -options: additional parameters (reference_id and return_fields)
-        
+
     Returns:
         -see the api documentation for the format of this object
     '''
     if article == None or len(article) == 0:
       raise Exception('You must include an article to tonalize')
-  
+
     url = self.API_BASE + self.TONALIZE_DETAILED
     data = {'article': article}
     if options != None: data.update(options)
     for key, value in data.iteritems(): data[key] = json.dumps(value)
     data = urllib.urlencode(data)
-  
+
     headers = self._get_headers()
     request = urllib2.Request(url, data, headers)
     response = urllib2.urlopen(request)
     return json.loads(response.read())
-  
+
   def tonalize(self, article, options = None):
     '''
     tonalize an article
-    
+
     Args:
         -article: article to tonalize
         -options: additional parameters (reference_id and return_fields)
-        
+
     Returns:
         -see the api documentation for the format of this object
     '''
     if article == None or len(article) == 0:
       raise Exception('You must include an article to tonalize')
-  
+
     url = self.API_BASE + self.TONALIZE
     data = {'article': article}
     if options != None: data.update(options)
     for key, value in data.iteritems(): data[key] = json.dumps(value)
     data = urllib.urlencode(data)
-  
+
     headers = self._get_headers()
     request = urllib2.Request(url, data, headers)
     response = urllib2.urlopen(request)
@@ -109,32 +110,32 @@ def tonalize(self, article, options = None):
   def flag_response(self, phrase, api_method = None, api_version = '2.2', callback_url = None, options = None):
     '''
     flag a response as inaccurate
-    
+
     Args:
         -phrase: the phrase that returns an inaccurate response
         -api_method: the method that returns an inaccurate response
         -api_version: the version that returns an inaccurate response
         -callback_url: a url to call when the phrase has been re-rated
         -options: additional parameters (reference_id)
-        
+
     Returns:
         -see the api documentation for the format of this object
     '''
     if phrase == None or len(phrase) == 0:
       raise Exception('You must include a phrase to flag')
-  
+
     url = self.API_BASE + self.FLAG_RESPONSE
     data = {'phrase': phrase}
-  
+
     if (api_method != None): data['apiMethod'] = api_method
     if (api_version != None): data['apiVersion'] = api_version
     if (callback_url != None): data['callbackUrl'] = callback_url
     if (options != None): data.update(options)
-  
+
     for key, value in data.iteritems(): data[key] = json.dumps(value)
     data = urllib.urlencode(data)
-  
+
     headers = self._get_headers()
     request = urllib2.Request(url, data, headers)
     response = urllib2.urlopen(request)
-    return response.read()
\ No newline at end of file
+    return response.read()