      */
     override public function get blendMode():String
     {
-        if (blendModeExplicitlySet)
-            return _blendMode;
-        else return BlendMode.LAYER;
+        return _blendMode; 
     }
     
     /**

     */
    override public function set blendMode(value:String):void
    {
        if (blendModeExplicitlySet && value == _blendMode)
            return;
            
        var oldValue:String = _blendMode;
        _blendMode = value;
            
        blendModeExplicitlySet = true;
        
        blendModeChanged = true;
        
        // Only need to re-do display object assignment if blendmode was normal
        // and is changing to someting else, or the blend mode was something else 
        // and is going back to normal.  This is because display object sharing
        // only happens when blendMode is normal.
        if ((oldValue == BlendMode.NORMAL || value == BlendMode.NORMAL) && 
            !(oldValue == BlendMode.NORMAL && value == BlendMode.NORMAL))
        {
            invalidateDisplayObjectOrdering();
        }

    {
        if (super.alpha == value)
            return;
            
        invalidateProperties();
        
        super.alpha = value;
    }
    
