diff --git a/dss/settings.py b/dss/settings.py
index 4753ed4..dc2472b 100755
--- a/dss/settings.py
+++ b/dss/settings.py
@@ -104,6 +104,15 @@ INSTALLED_APPS = (
     #'django_facebook',
     'django_extensions',
     'django_gravatar',
+
+        # TODO: remove
+    'allauth',
+    'allauth.account',
+    'allauth.socialaccount',
+    'allauth.socialaccount.providers.facebook',
+    'allauth.socialaccount.providers.google',
+    'allauth.socialaccount.providers.twitter',
+
     'corsheaders',
     'sorl.thumbnail',
     'djcelery',
@@ -111,19 +120,11 @@ INSTALLED_APPS = (
     'gunicorn',
     'spa.signals',
     'core',
-    #'schedule',
     'django_user_agents',
     'storages',
     'social.apps.django_app.default',
 
-    # TODO: remove
-    'allauth',
-    'allauth.account',
-    'allauth.socialaccount',
-    'allauth.socialaccount.providers.facebook',
-    'allauth.socialaccount.providers.google',
-    'allauth.socialaccount.providers.twitter',
-    'south',
+
 
     'dbbackup',
     'djrill',
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 68682e5..cd7ad5f 100755
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Django==1.6.11
+Django==1.8.4
 django-extensions
 django-sendfile
 Werkzeug
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ django-grappelli==2.5.7
 django-model_utils
 django-dbbackup
 django-user-agents
-south
 redis
 django-celery
 
diff --git a/spa/models/_lookup.py b/spa/models/_lookup.py
index e7412b1..a401fbd 100755
--- a/spa/models/_lookup.py
+++ b/spa/models/_lookup.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from django.db import models
-from django.db.models.loading import get_model
 from basemodel import BaseModel
 
+
 class _Lookup(BaseModel):
     description = models.CharField(max_length=100)
 
diff --git a/spa/models/basemodel.py b/spa/models/basemodel.py
index 779b744..8b9dd15 100755
--- a/spa/models/basemodel.py
+++ b/spa/models/basemodel.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ from dss import localsettings, settings
 class BaseModel(models.Model):
     logger = logging.getLogger('dss')
 
-    object_created = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, default=datetime.now())
-    object_updated = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True, default=datetime.now(), db_index=True)
+    object_created = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    object_updated = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True, db_index=True)
 
     class Meta:
         abstract = True
diff --git a/spa/models/comment.py b/spa/models/comment.py
index 99710ca..186ba92 100755
--- a/spa/models/comment.py
+++ b/spa/models/comment.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class Comment(BaseModel):
     comment = models.CharField(max_length=1024)
     date_created = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
     time_index = models.IntegerField(default=0)
-    likes = models.ManyToManyField(UserProfile, related_name='liked_comments', blank=True, null=True)
+    likes = models.ManyToManyField(UserProfile, related_name='liked_comments', blank=True)
 
     def get_absolute_url(self):
         return '/comment/%i' % self.id
diff --git a/spa/models/mix.py b/spa/models/mix.py
index f5a6201..4ea8e6d 100755
--- a/spa/models/mix.py
+++ b/spa/models/mix.py
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ class Mix(BaseModel):
     genres = models.ManyToManyField(Genre)
 
     # activity based stuff
-    favourites = models.ManyToManyField(UserProfile, related_name='favourites', blank=True, null=True)
-    likes = models.ManyToManyField(UserProfile, related_name='likes', blank=True, null=True)
+    favourites = models.ManyToManyField(UserProfile, related_name='favourites', blank=True)
+    likes = models.ManyToManyField(UserProfile, related_name='likes', blank=True)
 
     def __unicode__(self):
         return self.title
diff --git a/spa/models/release.py b/spa/models/release.py
index 2f3e332..3cc067d 100755
--- a/spa/models/release.py
+++ b/spa/models/release.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class Release(BaseModel):
     release_description = models.TextField()
     release_image = models.ImageField(blank=True, upload_to=release_image_name)
     release_label = models.ForeignKey(Label)
-    release_date = models.DateField(default=datetime.now())
+    release_date = models.DateField(auto_now=True)
 
     embed_code = models.TextField(blank=True)
 
diff --git a/spa/models/userprofile.py b/spa/models/userprofile.py
index 79b9d14..51b9055 100755
--- a/spa/models/userprofile.py
+++ b/spa/models/userprofile.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class UserProfile(BaseModel):
     activity_sharing_twitter = BitField(flags=NOTIFICATION_CHOICES, default=0)
     email_notifications = BitField(flags=NOTIFICATION_CHOICES, default=0)
 
-    following = models.ManyToManyField('self', null=True, blank=True, symmetrical=False, related_name='followers')
+    following = models.ManyToManyField('self', blank=True, symmetrical=False, related_name='followers')
 
     # location properties
     city = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True, null=True)