docs: def auth(self, user=None, password=None, jsonp=None):
          """ authenticate with the instapaper.com service
  
              Parameters: user -> username
                          password -> password
              Returns: (status as int, status error message)
          """
          if not user:
              user = self.user
          if not password:
              password = self.password
          parameters = {
                        'username' : self.user,
                        'password' : self.password
                       }
          if jsonp is not None:
              parameters['jsonp'] = jsonp
          status, headers = self._query(self.authurl, parameters)
          # return the callback call if we want jsonp
          if jsonp is not None:
              return status
          return (int(status), self.auth_status_codes[int(status)])