diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3bec50f..8263b7a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 *.pyc
 ajax/dojo/*
+.project
+.pydevproject
+.settings
+
diff --git a/composer/schema/field.py b/composer/schema/field.py
index e4ae831..6b1517c 100644
--- a/composer/schema/field.py
+++ b/composer/schema/field.py
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ class EmailFieldInstance(FieldInstance):
 class BooleanFieldInstance(FieldInstance):
 
     def marshall(self, value):
-        return value
+        return bool(value)
 
     def display(self, value):
         #return value and _(u'Yes') or _(u'No')
diff --git a/composer/schema/instance.py b/composer/schema/instance.py
index 11d2718..f95cc62 100644
--- a/composer/schema/instance.py
+++ b/composer/schema/instance.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Instance(BaseInstance):
                 fi = f.getFieldInstance(self, context=kw.get('context'),
                                               request=kw.get('request'))
                 name = f.name
-                value = getattr(self.context, name) or fi.default
+                value = getattr(self.context, name, fi.default)
                 if mode in ('view', 'preview'):
                     value = fi.display(value)
                 else:
diff --git a/media/asset.py b/media/asset.py
index ed3e3db..5af5514 100644
--- a/media/asset.py
+++ b/media/asset.py
@@ -29,11 +29,9 @@ from logging import getLogger
 import mimetypes
 import os, re, sys
 
-from zope import component
 from zope.interface import implements
-from cybertools.media.interfaces import IMediaAsset, IFileTransform
+from cybertools.media.interfaces import IMediaAsset
 from cybertools.media.piltransform import PILTransform
-from cybertools.storage.filesystem import FileSystemStorage
 
 TRANSFORM_STATEMENT = re.compile(r"\s*(\+?)([\w]+[\w\d]*)\(([^\)]*)\)\s*")
 
@@ -41,13 +39,16 @@ DEFAULT_FORMATS = {
     "image": "image/jpeg"
 }
 
+
 def parseTransformStatements(txStr):
     """ Parse statements in transform chain strings."""
     statements = TRANSFORM_STATEMENT.findall(txStr)
     return statements
 
+
 def getMimeBasetype(mimetype):
-    return mimetype.split("/",1)[0]
+    return mimetype.split("/", 1)[0]
+
 
 def getMimetypeExt(mimetype):
     exts = mimetypes.guess_all_extensions(mimetype)
@@ -74,9 +75,9 @@ class MediaAssetFile(object):
             getLogger('cybertools.media.asset.MediaAssetFile').warn(
                 'Media asset directory %r not found.' % path)
             self.transform()
-            #return self.getOriginalData()
+            # return self.getOriginalData()
         f = open(path, 'rb')
-        data =f.read()
+        data = f.read()
         f.close()
         return data
 
diff --git a/media/piltransform.py b/media/piltransform.py
index df43893..d154bf3 100644
--- a/media/piltransform.py
+++ b/media/piltransform.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class PILTransform(object):
         box = (left, upper, right, lower)
         self.im = self.im.crop(box)
 
-    def resize(self, width, height=None):
+    def resize(self, width, height=None, fill=False):
         if self.im is None:
             return
         if not height:
@@ -100,11 +100,15 @@ class PILTransform(object):
             ratio = float(ow) / float(oh)
             height = int(round(float(width) / ratio))
         dims = (width, height)
-        try:
-            self.im.thumbnail(dims, Image.ANTIALIAS)
-        except IOError, e:
-            logger.warn(e)
-
+        if fill:
+            image = self.im
+            image.thumbnail(dims, Image.ANTIALIAS)
+            new = Image.new('RGBA', dims, (255, 255, 255, 0))  #with alpha
+            new.paste(image,((dims[0] - image.size[0]) / 2,
+                               (dims[1] - image.size[1]) / 2))
+            self.im = new
+            return new
+        return self.im.thumbnail(dims, Image.ANTIALIAS)
 
     def save(self, path, mimetype):
         if self.im is None:
diff --git a/util/date.py b/util/date.py
index fd495b0..a325799 100644
--- a/util/date.py
+++ b/util/date.py
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ def year(d=None):
         d = datetime.today()
     return d.year
 
-
 def toLocalTime(d):
     if pytz is None or not d:
         return d
@@ -82,3 +81,13 @@ def toLocalTime(d):
         return d.astimezone(cet)
     except ValueError:
         return d
+
+def month(d=None):
+    if d is None:
+        d = datetime.today()
+    return d.month
+
+def day(d=None):
+    if d is None:
+        d = datetime.today()
+    return d.day