diff --git a/symposion/settings.py b/symposion/settings.py
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+++ b/symposion/settings.py
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+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Django settings for account project
+
+import os.path
+import posixpath
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+DEBUG = True
+TEMPLATE_DEBUG = DEBUG
+
+# tells Pinax to serve media through the staticfiles app.
+SERVE_MEDIA = DEBUG
+
+# django-compressor is turned off by default due to deployment overhead for
+# most users. See <URL> for more information
+COMPRESS = False
+
+INTERNAL_IPS = [
+    "127.0.0.1",
+]
+
+ADMINS = [
+    # ("Your Name", "your_email@domain.com"),
+]
+
+MANAGERS = ADMINS
+
+DATABASES = {
+    "default": {
+        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3", # Add "postgresql_psycopg2", "postgresql", "mysql", "sqlite3" or "oracle".
+        "NAME": "dev.db",                       # Or path to database file if using sqlite3.
+        "USER": "",                             # Not used with sqlite3.
+        "PASSWORD": "",                         # Not used with sqlite3.
+        "HOST": "",                             # Set to empty string for localhost. Not used with sqlite3.
+        "PORT": "",                             # Set to empty string for default. Not used with sqlite3.
+    }
+}
+
+# Local time zone for this installation. Choices can be found here:
+# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_zones_by_name
+# although not all choices may be available on all operating systems.
+# If running in a Windows environment this must be set to the same as your
+# system time zone.
+TIME_ZONE = "US/Eastern"
+
+# Language code for this installation. All choices can be found here:
+# http://www.i18nguy.com/unicode/language-identifiers.html
+LANGUAGE_CODE = "en-us"
+
+SITE_ID = 1
+
+# If you set this to False, Django will make some optimizations so as not
+# to load the internationalization machinery.
+USE_I18N = True
+
+# Absolute path to the directory that holds media.
+# Example: "/home/media/media.lawrence.com/"
+MEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "site_media", "media")
+
+# URL that handles the media served from MEDIA_ROOT. Make sure to use a
+# trailing slash if there is a path component (optional in other cases).
+# Examples: "http://media.lawrence.com", "http://example.com/media/"
+MEDIA_URL = "/site_media/media/"
+
+# Absolute path to the directory that holds static files like app media.
+# Example: "/home/media/media.lawrence.com/apps/"
+STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "site_media", "static")
+
+# URL that handles the static files like app media.
+# Example: "http://media.lawrence.com"
+STATIC_URL = "/site_media/static/"
+
+# Additional directories which hold static files
+STATICFILES_DIRS = [
+    os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "static"),
+]
+
+STATICFILES_FINDERS = [
+    "django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.FileSystemFinder",
+    "django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.AppDirectoriesFinder",
+    "compressor.finders.CompressorFinder",
+]
+
+# URL prefix for admin media -- CSS, JavaScript and images. Make sure to use a
+# trailing slash.
+# Examples: "http://foo.com/media/", "/media/".
+ADMIN_MEDIA_PREFIX = posixpath.join(STATIC_URL, "admin/")
+
+# Subdirectory of COMPRESS_ROOT to store the cached media files in
+COMPRESS_OUTPUT_DIR = "cache"
+
+# Make this unique, and don't share it with anybody.
+SECRET_KEY = "8*br)9@fs!4nzg-imfrsst&oa2udy6z-fqtdk0*e5c1=wn)(t3"
+
+# List of callables that know how to import templates from various sources.
+TEMPLATE_LOADERS = [
+    "django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader",
+    "django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader",
+]
+
+MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = [
+    "django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware",
+    "django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware",
+    "django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware",
+    "django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware",
+    "django_openid.consumer.SessionConsumer",
+    "django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware",
+    "django.middleware.transaction.TransactionMiddleware",
+    "reversion.middleware.RevisionMiddleware",
+    "debug_toolbar.middleware.DebugToolbarMiddleware",
+]
+
+ROOT_URLCONF = "symposion.urls"
+
+TEMPLATE_DIRS = [
+    os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "templates"),
+]
+
+TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = [
+    "django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth",
+    "django.core.context_processors.debug",
+    "django.core.context_processors.i18n",
+    "django.core.context_processors.media",
+    "django.core.context_processors.static",
+    "django.core.context_processors.tz",
+    "django.core.context_processors.request",
+    "django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages",
+    "pinax_utils.context_processors.settings",
+    "account.context_processors.account",
+]
+
+INSTALLED_APPS = [
+    # Django
+    "django.contrib.admin",
+    "django.contrib.auth",
+    "django.contrib.contenttypes",
+    "django.contrib.sessions",
+    "django.contrib.sites",
+    "django.contrib.messages",
+    "django.contrib.staticfiles",
+    "django.contrib.humanize",
+    
+    # theme
+    "pinax_theme_bootstrap_account",
+    "pinax_theme_bootstrap",
+    "django_forms_bootstrap",
+    
+    # external
+    "compressor",
+    "debug_toolbar",
+    "mailer",
+    "django_openid",
+    "timezones",
+    "metron",
+    "markitup",
+    "taggit",
+    "cms",
+    "mptt",
+    "reversion",
+    "easy_thumbnails",
+    "sitetree",
+    
+    # Pinax
+    "account",
+    
+    # project
+    "symposion.about",
+    "symposion.sponsorship",
+    "symposion.conference",
+]
+
+FIXTURE_DIRS = [
+    os.path.join(PROJECT_ROOT, "fixtures"),
+]
+
+MESSAGE_STORAGE = "django.contrib.messages.storage.session.SessionStorage"
+
+EMAIL_BACKEND = "mailer.backend.DbBackend"
+
+ACCOUNT_OPEN_SIGNUP = True
+ACCOUNT_USE_OPENID = False
+ACCOUNT_REQUIRED_EMAIL = False
+ACCOUNT_EMAIL_VERIFICATION = False
+ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
+ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
+
+# AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+#     "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+# ]
+
+LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
+LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"
+LOGOUT_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "home"
+
+EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_DAYS = 2
+EMAIL_DEBUG = DEBUG
+
+DEBUG_TOOLBAR_CONFIG = {
+    "INTERCEPT_REDIRECTS": False,
+}
+
+MARKITUP_FILTER = ("markdown.markdown", {"safe_mode": True})
+CONFERENCE_ID = 1
+
+# local_settings.py can be used to override environment-specific settings
+# like database and email that differ between development and production.
+try:
+    from local_settings import *
+except ImportError:
+    pass