diff --git a/pandora/annotation/models.py b/pandora/annotation/models.py
index 19527afd..7b946b88 100644
--- a/pandora/annotation/models.py
+++ b/pandora/annotation/models.py
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ class Annotation(models.Model):
 
     def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
         from .tasks import update_matches
+        async = kwargs.pop('async', False)
 
         set_public_id = not self.id or not self.public_id
         layer = self.get_layer()
@@ -177,14 +178,16 @@ class Annotation(models.Model):
                     'id': self.clip.id,
                     self.layer: False
                 }).update(**{self.layer: True})
-                #update clip.findvalue
+                # update clip.findvalue
                 self.clip.save()
 
-            #editAnnotations needs to be in snyc
+            # editAnnotations needs to be in snyc
+            # load_subtitles can not be in sync
+            fn = update_matches.delay if async else update_matches
             if layer.get('type') == 'place' or layer.get('hasPlaces'):
-                update_matches(self.id, 'place')
+                fn(self.id, 'place')
             if layer.get('type') == 'event' or layer.get('hasEvents'):
-                update_matches(self.id, 'event')
+                fn(self.id, 'event')
 
     def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
         with transaction.atomic():
diff --git a/pandora/annotation/tasks.py b/pandora/annotation/tasks.py
index 610555b0..969539d5 100644
--- a/pandora/annotation/tasks.py
+++ b/pandora/annotation/tasks.py
@@ -18,10 +18,13 @@ def update_matches(id, type):
     elif type == 'event':
         from event.models import Event as Model
 
-    a = Annotation.objects.get(pk=id)
+    try:
+        a = Annotation.objects.get(pk=id)
+    except Annotation.DoesNotExist:
+        return
     a_matches = getattr(a, type == 'place' and 'places' or 'events')
 
-    #remove undefined matches that only have this annotation
+    # remove undefined matches that only have this annotation
     for p in a_matches.filter(defined=False).exclude(name=a.value):
         if p.annotations.exclude(id=id).count() == 0:
             p.delete()
@@ -33,8 +36,7 @@ def update_matches(id, type):
     if a.findvalue:
         names = {}
         for n in Model.objects.all().values('id', 'name', 'alternativeNames'):
-            names[n['id']] = [ox.decode_html(x)
-                for x in (n['name'],) + n['alternativeNames']]
+            names[n['id']] = [ox.decode_html(x) for x in (n['name'],) + n['alternativeNames']]
         value = a.findvalue.lower()
 
         current = [p.id for p in a_matches.all()]
@@ -49,19 +51,19 @@ def update_matches(id, type):
         new = []
         for i in matches: 
             p = Model.objects.get(pk=i)
-            #only add places/events that did not get added as a super match
-            #i.e. only add The Paris Region and not Paris
+            # only add places/events that did not get added as a super match
+            # i.e. only add The Paris Region and not Paris
             if not filter(lambda n: n in name_matches,
                           [n.lower() for n in p.get_super_matches()]):
                 new.append(i)
-        removed = list(filter(lambda p: p not in new, current))
-        added = list(filter(lambda p: p not in current, new))
-        update = removed + added
+        removed = set(filter(lambda p: p not in new, current))
+        added = set(filter(lambda p: p not in current, new))
+        update = list(removed | added)
         if update:
             for e in Model.objects.filter(id__in=update):
                 e.update_matches(Annotation.objects.filter(pk=a.id))
     else:
-        #annotation has no value, remove all exisint matches
+        # annotation has no value, remove all exisint matches
         for e in a_matches.all():
             e.update_matches(Annotation.objects.filter(pk=a.id))
 
diff --git a/pandora/item/models.py b/pandora/item/models.py
index a1020dfe..6c22e8b6 100644
--- a/pandora/item/models.py
+++ b/pandora/item/models.py
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ class Item(models.Model):
                                     value=value,
                                     user=user
                                 )
-                                annotation.save()
+                                annotation.save(async=True)
                     # otherwise add empty 5 seconds annotation every minute
                     if not subtitles_added:
                         start = offset and int(offset / 60) * 60 + 60 or 0
@@ -1647,7 +1647,7 @@ class Item(models.Model):
                                 value='',
                                 user=user
                             )
-                            annotation.save()
+                            annotation.save(async=True)
                     offset += f.duration
                 # remove left over clips without annotations
                 Clip.objects.filter(item=self, annotations__id=None).delete()
diff --git a/pandora/item/timelines.py b/pandora/item/timelines.py
index c3106ab4..d1fa5420 100644
--- a/pandora/item/timelines.py
+++ b/pandora/item/timelines.py
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ import re
 from PIL import Image
 from ox.utils import json
 
+__all__ = ['join_tiles', 'split_tiles']
+
+def divide(num, by):
+    # divide(100, 3) -> [33, 33, 34]
+    arr = []
+    div = int(num / by)
+    mod = num % by
+    for i in range(int(by)):
+        arr.append(div + (i > by - 1 - mod))
+    return arr
 
 def join_tiles(source_paths, durations, target_path):
     '''
@@ -17,15 +27,6 @@ def join_tiles(source_paths, durations, target_path):
     be written to target_path.
     '''
 
-    def divide(num, by):
-        # divide(100, 3) -> [33, 33, 34]
-        arr = []
-        div = int(num / by)
-        mod = num % by
-        for i in range(int(by)):
-            arr.append(div + (i > by - 1 - mod))
-        return arr
-
     def get_file_info(file_name):
         for mode in modes:
             if re.match('^timeline' + mode + '64p\d+\.jpg', file_name):
@@ -86,11 +87,12 @@ def join_tiles(source_paths, durations, target_path):
                     #print(image_file)
             if mode == full_tile_mode:
                 # render full tile
-                resized = data['target_images']['large'].resize((
-                    data['full_tile_widths'][0], large_tile_h
-                ), Image.ANTIALIAS)
-                data['target_images']['full'].paste(resized, (data['full_tile_offset'], 0))
-                data['full_tile_offset'] += data['full_tile_widths'][0]
+                if data['full_tile_widths'][0]:
+                    resized = data['target_images']['large'].resize((
+                        data['full_tile_widths'][0], large_tile_h
+                    ), Image.ANTIALIAS)
+                    data['target_images']['full'].paste(resized, (data['full_tile_offset'], 0))
+                    data['full_tile_offset'] += data['full_tile_widths'][0]
                 data['full_tile_widths'] = data['full_tile_widths'][1:]
             large_tile_i += 1
         # open next large tile
diff --git a/pandora/place/models.py b/pandora/place/models.py
index 71eac036..022778db 100644
--- a/pandora/place/models.py
+++ b/pandora/place/models.py
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@ class Place(models.Model):
             numberofmatches = -1
         for a in annotations.exclude(id__in=matches):
             self.annotations.remove(a)
-            #annotations of type place always need a place
+            # annotations of type place always need a place
             if a.get_layer().get('type') == 'place' and a.places.count() == 0:
                 a.places.add(Place.get_or_create(a.value))
                 for p in a.places.exclude(id=self.id):
                     p.update_matches()
         for a in matches.exclude(id__in=self.annotations.all()):
-            #need to check again since editEvent might have been called again
+            # need to check again since editEvent might have been called again
             if self.annotations.filter(id=a.id).count() == 0:
                 self.annotations.add(a)
         ids = list(set([a['item_id'] for a in self.annotations.all().values('item_id')]))
diff --git a/pandora/taskqueue/models.py b/pandora/taskqueue/models.py
index 546ccf5f..67298228 100644
--- a/pandora/taskqueue/models.py
+++ b/pandora/taskqueue/models.py
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ class Task(models.Model):
         task, created = cls.objects.get_or_create(item=item)
         if task.update(save=False) or created:
             task.user = user
-            task.started = datetime.now()
+            if not task.started:
+                task.started = datetime.now()
             task.ended = None
             task.save()
 
@@ -83,10 +84,10 @@ class Task(models.Model):
             status = 'pending'
         elif self.item.files.filter(uploading=True).count():
             status = 'uploading'
-        elif self.item.files.filter(queued=True).count():
-            status = 'queued'
         elif self.item.files.filter(encoding=True).count():
             status = 'processing'
+        elif self.item.files.filter(queued=True).count():
+            status = 'queued'
         elif self.item.files.filter(failed=True).count():
             status = 'failed'
         elif self.item.rendered:
diff --git a/pandora/user/managers.py b/pandora/user/managers.py
index d23007e5..3e7b9cae 100644
--- a/pandora/user/managers.py
+++ b/pandora/user/managers.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ def parseCondition(condition, user):
     else:
         key = k + get_operator(op, 'istr')
     key = str(key)
-
     q = Q(**{key: v})
     if exclude:
         q = ~q
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ def parseConditions(conditions, operator, user):
     for condition in conditions:
         if 'conditions' in condition:
             q = parseConditions(condition['conditions'],
-                             condition.get('operator', '&'), user)
+                                condition.get('operator', '&'), user)
             if q:
                 conn.append(q)
             pass
diff --git a/pandora/user/models.py b/pandora/user/models.py
index e810230e..b183ee43 100644
--- a/pandora/user/models.py
+++ b/pandora/user/models.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class SessionData(models.Model):
 
     objects = managers.SessionDataManager()
 
-    groupssort = models.CharField(default=None,blank=True,null=True, max_length=255)
+    groupssort = models.CharField(default=None, blank=True, null=True, max_length=255)
 
     def __unicode__(self):
         return u"%s" % self.session_key
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ class SessionData(models.Model):
 
     def json(self, keys=None, user=None):
         ua = ox.parse_useragent(self.useragent or '')
+        if ua['robot']['name'] and self.level != -1:
+            self.level = -1
+            self.save()
         j = {
             'browser': ua['browser']['string'],
             'disabled': False,
@@ -234,6 +237,7 @@ def get_ui(user_ui, user=None):
     ui = {}
     config = copy.deepcopy(settings.CONFIG)
     ui.update(config['user']['ui'])
+
     def update_ui(ui, new):
         '''
             only update set keys in dicts
@@ -385,8 +389,7 @@ def has_capability(user, capability):
     else:
         level = user.profile.get_level()
     return level in settings.CONFIG['capabilities'][capability] \
-            and settings.CONFIG['capabilities'][capability][level]
-
+        and settings.CONFIG['capabilities'][capability][level]
 
 def merge_users(old, new):
     old.annotations.all().update(user=new)