diff --git a/piker/__init__.py b/piker/__init__.py
index 75ec8ded..c84bfac2 100644
--- a/piker/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/__init__.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ piker: trading gear for hackers.
 
 """
 import msgpack  # noqa
+
+# TODO: remove this now right?
 import msgpack_numpy
 
 # patch msgpack for numpy arrays
diff --git a/piker/_daemon.py b/piker/_daemon.py
index a894f1a5..30fdfec2 100644
--- a/piker/_daemon.py
+++ b/piker/_daemon.py
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ Structured, daemon tree service management.
 
 """
 from functools import partial
-from typing import Optional, Union
-from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from typing import Optional, Union, Callable, Any
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager, AsyncExitStack
+from collections import defaultdict
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 import trio
@@ -33,6 +34,10 @@ from .brokers import get_brokermod
 log = get_logger(__name__)
 
 _root_dname = 'pikerd'
+_tractor_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = {
+    # use a different registry addr then tractor's default
+    'arbiter_addr':  ('127.0.0.1', 6116),
+}
 _root_modules = [
     __name__,
     'piker.clearing._ems',
@@ -44,10 +49,34 @@ class Services(BaseModel):
     actor_n: tractor._trionics.ActorNursery
     service_n: trio.Nursery
     debug_mode: bool  # tractor sub-actor debug mode flag
+    ctx_stack: AsyncExitStack
 
     class Config:
         arbitrary_types_allowed = True
 
+    async def open_remote_ctx(
+        self,
+        portal: tractor.Portal,
+        target: Callable,
+        **kwargs,
+
+    ) -> tractor.Context:
+        '''
+        Open a context in a service sub-actor, add to a stack
+        that gets unwound at ``pikerd`` tearodwn.
+
+        This allows for allocating long-running sub-services in our main
+        daemon and explicitly controlling their lifetimes.
+
+        '''
+        ctx, first = await self.ctx_stack.enter_async_context(
+            portal.open_context(
+                target,
+            **kwargs,
+            )
+        )
+        return ctx
+
 
 _services: Optional[Services] = None
 
@@ -62,20 +91,21 @@ async def open_pikerd(
     debug_mode: bool = False,
 
 ) -> Optional[tractor._portal.Portal]:
-    """
+    '''
     Start a root piker daemon who's lifetime extends indefinitely
     until cancelled.
 
     A root actor nursery is created which can be used to create and keep
     alive underling services (see below).
 
-    """
+    '''
     global _services
     assert _services is None
 
     # XXX: this may open a root actor as well
     async with tractor.open_root_actor(
             # passed through to ``open_root_actor``
+            arbiter_addr=_tractor_kwargs['arbiter_addr'],
             name=_root_dname,
             loglevel=loglevel,
             debug_mode=debug_mode,
@@ -90,14 +120,18 @@ async def open_pikerd(
     ) as _, tractor.open_nursery() as actor_nursery:
         async with trio.open_nursery() as service_nursery:
 
-            # assign globally for future daemon/task creation
-            _services = Services(
-                actor_n=actor_nursery,
-                service_n=service_nursery,
-                debug_mode=debug_mode,
-            )
+            # setup service mngr singleton instance
+            async with AsyncExitStack() as stack:
 
-            yield _services
+                # assign globally for future daemon/task creation
+                _services = Services(
+                    actor_n=actor_nursery,
+                    service_n=service_nursery,
+                    debug_mode=debug_mode,
+                    ctx_stack=stack,
+                )
+
+                yield _services
 
 
 @asynccontextmanager
@@ -140,6 +174,7 @@ async def maybe_open_pikerd(
     # presume pikerd role
     async with open_pikerd(
         loglevel=loglevel,
+        debug_mode=kwargs.get('debug_mode', False),
     ) as _:
         # in the case where we're starting up the
         # tractor-piker runtime stack in **this** process
@@ -193,17 +228,19 @@ async def spawn_brokerd(
     # call with and then have the ability to unwind the call whenevs.
 
     # non-blocking setup of brokerd service nursery
-    _services.service_n.start_soon(
-        partial(
-            portal.run,
-            _setup_persistent_brokerd,
-            brokername=brokername,
-        )
+    await _services.open_remote_ctx(
+        portal,
+        _setup_persistent_brokerd,
+        brokername=brokername,
     )
 
     return dname
 
 
+class Brokerd:
+    locks = defaultdict(trio.Lock)
+
+
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def maybe_spawn_brokerd(
 
@@ -222,9 +259,15 @@ async def maybe_spawn_brokerd(
 
     dname = f'brokerd.{brokername}'
 
+    # serialize access to this section to avoid
+    # 2 or more tasks racing to create a daemon
+    lock = Brokerd.locks[brokername]
+    await lock.acquire()
+
     # attach to existing brokerd if possible
     async with tractor.find_actor(dname) as portal:
         if portal is not None:
+            lock.release()
             yield portal
             return
 
@@ -249,6 +292,7 @@ async def maybe_spawn_brokerd(
             )
 
         async with tractor.wait_for_actor(dname) as portal:
+            lock.release()
             yield portal
 
 
diff --git a/piker/brokers/kraken.py b/piker/brokers/kraken.py
index 824b3710..8f83c960 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/kraken.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/kraken.py
@@ -341,6 +341,10 @@ def make_sub(pairs: List[str], data: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, str]:
 class AutoReconWs:
     """Make ``trio_websocketw` sockets stay up no matter the bs.
 
+    TODO:
+    apply any more insights from this:
+    https://support.kraken.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044504011-WebSocket-API-unexpected-disconnections-from-market-data-feeds
+
     """
     recon_errors = (
         ConnectionClosed,
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index 73ca9ee1..dbb0ff51 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -179,31 +179,40 @@ async def execute_triggers(
                         # majority of iterations will be non-matches
                         continue
 
-                    # submit_price = price + price*percent_away
-                    submit_price = price + abs_diff_away
+                    action = cmd['action']
 
-                    log.info(
-                        f'Dark order triggered for price {price}\n'
-                        f'Submitting order @ price {submit_price}')
+                    if action != 'alert':
+                        # executable order submission
 
-                    reqid = await client.submit_limit(
-                        oid=oid,
+                        # submit_price = price + price*percent_away
+                        submit_price = price + abs_diff_away
 
-                        # this is a brand new order request for the
-                        # underlying broker so we set out "broker request
-                        # id" (brid) as nothing so that the broker
-                        # client knows that we aren't trying to modify
-                        # an existing order.
-                        brid=None,
+                        log.info(
+                            f'Dark order triggered for price {price}\n'
+                            f'Submitting order @ price {submit_price}')
 
-                        symbol=sym,
-                        action=cmd['action'],
-                        price=submit_price,
-                        size=cmd['size'],
-                    )
+                        reqid = await client.submit_limit(
+                            oid=oid,
 
-                    # register broker request id to ems id
-                    book._broker2ems_ids[reqid] = oid
+                            # this is a brand new order request for the
+                            # underlying broker so we set out "broker request
+                            # id" (brid) as nothing so that the broker
+                            # client knows that we aren't trying to modify
+                            # an existing order.
+                            brid=None,
+
+                            symbol=sym,
+                            action=cmd['action'],
+                            price=submit_price,
+                            size=cmd['size'],
+                        )
+
+                        # register broker request id to ems id
+                        book._broker2ems_ids[reqid] = oid
+
+                    else:
+                        # alerts have no broker request id
+                        reqid = ''
 
                     resp = {
                         'resp': 'dark_executed',
@@ -233,19 +242,20 @@ async def execute_triggers(
 
 
 async def exec_loop(
+
     ctx: tractor.Context,
     feed: 'Feed',  # noqa
     broker: str,
     symbol: str,
     _exec_mode: str,
     task_status: TaskStatus[dict] = trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED,
+
 ) -> AsyncIterator[dict]:
     """Main scan loop for order execution conditions and submission
     to brokers.
 
     """
-
-    # TODO: get initial price quote from target broker
+    # XXX: this should be initial price quote from target provider
     first_quote = await feed.receive()
 
     book = get_dark_book(broker)
@@ -342,6 +352,7 @@ async def process_broker_trades(
     # TODO: make this a context
     # in the paper engine case this is just a mem receive channel
     async with feed.receive_trades_data() as trades_stream:
+
         first = await trades_stream.__anext__()
 
         # startup msg expected as first from broker backend
@@ -642,35 +653,18 @@ async def _emsd_main(
 
     dark_book = get_dark_book(broker)
 
-    # get a portal back to the client
-    async with tractor.wait_for_actor(client_actor_name) as portal:
+    # spawn one task per broker feed
+    async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
 
-        # spawn one task per broker feed
-        async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
+        # TODO: eventually support N-brokers
+        async with data.open_feed(
+            broker,
+            [symbol],
+            loglevel='info',
+        ) as feed:
 
-            # TODO: eventually support N-brokers
-            async with data.open_feed(
-                broker,
-                [symbol],
-                loglevel='info',
-            ) as feed:
-
-                # start the condition scan loop
-                quote, feed, client = await n.start(
-                    exec_loop,
-                    ctx,
-                    feed,
-                    broker,
-                    symbol,
-                    _mode,
-                )
-
-                await n.start(
-                    process_broker_trades,
-                    ctx,
-                    feed,
-                    dark_book,
-                )
+            # get a portal back to the client
+            async with tractor.wait_for_actor(client_actor_name) as portal:
 
                 # connect back to the calling actor (the one that is
                 # acting as an EMS client and will submit orders) to
@@ -681,6 +675,23 @@ async def _emsd_main(
                     symbol_key=symbol,
                 ) as order_stream:
 
+                    # start the condition scan loop
+                    quote, feed, client = await n.start(
+                        exec_loop,
+                        ctx,
+                        feed,
+                        broker,
+                        symbol,
+                        _mode,
+                    )
+
+                    await n.start(
+                        process_broker_trades,
+                        ctx,
+                        feed,
+                        dark_book,
+                    )
+
                     # start inbound order request processing
                     await process_order_cmds(
                         ctx,
diff --git a/piker/cli/__init__.py b/piker/cli/__init__.py
index 7dab2a28..2ca5a1a6 100644
--- a/piker/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/cli/__init__.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ _context_defaults = dict(
 def pikerd(loglevel, host, tl, pdb):
     """Spawn the piker broker-daemon.
     """
-    from .._daemon import _data_mods, open_pikerd
+    from .._daemon import open_pikerd
     log = get_console_log(loglevel)
 
     if pdb:
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ def services(config, tl, names):
 
 
 def _load_clis() -> None:
-    from ..data import marketstore as _
-    from ..data import cli as _
-    from ..brokers import cli as _  # noqa
-    from ..ui import cli as _  # noqa
-    from ..watchlists import cli as _  # noqa
+    from ..data import marketstore  # noqa
+    from ..data import cli  # noqa
+    from ..brokers import cli  # noqa
+    from ..ui import cli  # noqa
+    from ..watchlists import cli  # noqa
 
 
 # load downstream cli modules
diff --git a/piker/data/_sampling.py b/piker/data/_sampling.py
index 40951697..2079eb71 100644
--- a/piker/data/_sampling.py
+++ b/piker/data/_sampling.py
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ async def sample_and_broadcast(
             # end up triggering backpressure which which will
             # eventually block this producer end of the feed and
             # thus other consumers still attached.
-            subs = bus.subscribers[sym]
+            subs = bus._subscribers[sym]
             for ctx in subs:
                 # print(f'sub is {ctx.chan.uid}')
                 try:
@@ -236,5 +236,8 @@ async def sample_and_broadcast(
                     trio.BrokenResourceError,
                     trio.ClosedResourceError
                 ):
-                    subs.remove(ctx)
+                    # XXX: do we need to deregister here
+                    # if it's done in the fee bus code?
+                    # so far seems like no since this should all
+                    # be single-threaded.
                     log.error(f'{ctx.chan.uid} dropped connection')
diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index 9455f7ae..76c2bc23 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -67,11 +67,19 @@ class _FeedsBus(BaseModel):
     brokername: str
     nursery: trio.Nursery
     feeds: Dict[str, trio.CancelScope] = {}
-    subscribers: Dict[str, List[tractor.Context]] = {}
+
     task_lock: trio.StrictFIFOLock = trio.StrictFIFOLock()
 
+    # XXX: so weird but, apparently without this being `._` private
+    # pydantic will complain about private `tractor.Context` instance
+    # vars (namely `._portal` and `._cancel_scope`) at import time.
+    # Reported this bug:
+    # https://github.com/samuelcolvin/pydantic/issues/2816
+    _subscribers: Dict[str, List[tractor.Context]] = {}
+
     class Config:
         arbitrary_types_allowed = True
+        underscore_attrs_are_private = False
 
     async def cancel_all(self) -> None:
         for sym, (cs, msg, quote) in self.feeds.items():
@@ -108,7 +116,11 @@ def get_feed_bus(
     return _bus
 
 
-async def _setup_persistent_brokerd(brokername:  str) -> None:
+@tractor.context
+async def _setup_persistent_brokerd(
+    ctx: tractor.Context,
+    brokername: str
+) -> None:
     """Allocate a actor-wide service nursery in ``brokerd``
     such that feeds can be run in the background persistently by
     the broker backend as needed.
@@ -121,6 +133,9 @@ async def _setup_persistent_brokerd(brokername:  str) -> None:
             # background tasks from clients
             bus = get_feed_bus(brokername, service_nursery)
 
+            # unblock caller
+            await ctx.started()
+
             # we pin this task to keep the feeds manager active until the
             # parent actor decides to tear it down
             await trio.sleep_forever()
@@ -224,7 +239,7 @@ async def attach_feed_bus(
     brokername: str,
     symbol: str,
     loglevel: str,
-):
+) -> None:
 
     # try:
     if loglevel is None:
@@ -256,7 +271,7 @@ async def attach_feed_bus(
                     loglevel=loglevel,
                 )
             )
-            bus.subscribers.setdefault(symbol, []).append(ctx)
+            bus._subscribers.setdefault(symbol, []).append(ctx)
         else:
             sub_only = True
 
@@ -266,15 +281,17 @@ async def attach_feed_bus(
 
     # send this even to subscribers to existing feed?
     await ctx.send_yield(init_msg)
+
+    # deliver a first quote asap
     await ctx.send_yield(first_quote)
 
     if sub_only:
-        bus.subscribers[symbol].append(ctx)
+        bus._subscribers[symbol].append(ctx)
 
     try:
         await trio.sleep_forever()
     finally:
-        bus.subscribers[symbol].remove(ctx)
+        bus._subscribers[symbol].remove(ctx)
 
 
 @dataclass
diff --git a/piker/fsp/__init__.py b/piker/fsp/__init__.py
index 2345b516..312a0cef 100644
--- a/piker/fsp/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/fsp/__init__.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 """
 Financial signal processing for the peeps.
 """
+from functools import partial
 from typing import AsyncIterator, Callable, Tuple
 
 import trio
@@ -29,6 +30,8 @@ from .. import data
 from ._momo import _rsi, _wma
 from ._volume import _tina_vwap
 from ..data import attach_shm_array
+from ..data.feed import Feed
+from ..data._sharedmem import ShmArray
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -62,6 +65,97 @@ async def latency(
             yield value
 
 
+async def fsp_compute(
+    ctx: tractor.Context,
+    symbol: str,
+    feed: Feed,
+
+    src: ShmArray,
+    dst: ShmArray,
+
+    fsp_func_name: str,
+    func: Callable,
+
+    task_status: TaskStatus[None] = trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED,
+
+) -> None:
+
+    # TODO: load appropriate fsp with input args
+
+    async def filter_by_sym(
+        sym: str,
+        stream,
+    ):
+
+        # TODO: make this the actualy first quote from feed
+        # XXX: this allows for a single iteration to run for history
+        # processing without waiting on the real-time feed for a new quote
+        yield {}
+
+        # task cancellation won't kill the channel
+        with stream.shield():
+            async for quotes in stream:
+                for symbol, quotes in quotes.items():
+                    if symbol == sym:
+                        yield quotes
+
+    out_stream = func(
+        filter_by_sym(symbol, feed.stream),
+        feed.shm,
+    )
+
+    # TODO: XXX:
+    # THERE'S A BIG BUG HERE WITH THE `index` field since we're
+    # prepending a copy of the first value a few times to make
+    # sub-curves align with the parent bar chart.
+    # This likely needs to be fixed either by,
+    # - manually assigning the index and historical data
+    #   seperately to the shm array (i.e. not using .push())
+    # - developing some system on top of the shared mem array that
+    #   is `index` aware such that historical data can be indexed
+    #   relative to the true first datum? Not sure if this is sane
+    #   for incremental compuations.
+    dst._first.value = src._first.value
+    dst._last.value = src._first.value
+
+    # Conduct a single iteration of fsp with historical bars input
+    # and get historical output
+    history_output = await out_stream.__anext__()
+
+    # build a struct array which includes an 'index' field to push
+    # as history
+    history = np.array(
+        np.arange(len(history_output)),
+        dtype=dst.array.dtype
+    )
+    history[fsp_func_name] = history_output
+
+    # check for data length mis-allignment and fill missing values
+    diff = len(src.array) - len(history)
+    if diff >= 0:
+        print(f"WTF DIFF SIGNAL to HISTORY {diff}")
+        for _ in range(diff):
+            dst.push(history[:1])
+
+    # compare with source signal and time align
+    index = dst.push(history)
+
+    await ctx.send_yield(index)
+
+    # setup a respawn handle
+    with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
+        task_status.started(cs)
+
+        # rt stream
+        async for processed in out_stream:
+            log.debug(f"{fsp_func_name}: {processed}")
+            index = src.index
+            dst.array[-1][fsp_func_name] = processed
+
+            # stream latest shm array index entry
+            await ctx.send_yield(index)
+
+
 @tractor.stream
 async def cascade(
     ctx: tractor.Context,
@@ -85,84 +179,24 @@ async def cascade(
 
         assert src.token == feed.shm.token
 
-        async def fsp_compute(
-            task_status: TaskStatus[None] = trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED,
-        ) -> None:
-
-            # TODO: load appropriate fsp with input args
-
-            async def filter_by_sym(
-                sym: str,
-                stream,
-            ):
-                # task cancellation won't kill the channel
-                with stream.shield():
-                    async for quotes in stream:
-                        for symbol, quotes in quotes.items():
-                            if symbol == sym:
-                                yield quotes
-
-            out_stream = func(
-                filter_by_sym(symbol, feed.stream),
-                feed.shm,
-            )
-
-            # TODO: XXX:
-            # THERE'S A BIG BUG HERE WITH THE `index` field since we're
-            # prepending a copy of the first value a few times to make
-            # sub-curves align with the parent bar chart.
-            # This likely needs to be fixed either by,
-            # - manually assigning the index and historical data
-            #   seperately to the shm array (i.e. not using .push())
-            # - developing some system on top of the shared mem array that
-            #   is `index` aware such that historical data can be indexed
-            #   relative to the true first datum? Not sure if this is sane
-            #   for incremental compuations.
-            dst._first.value = src._first.value
-            dst._last.value = src._first.value
-
-            # Conduct a single iteration of fsp with historical bars input
-            # and get historical output
-            history_output = await out_stream.__anext__()
-
-            # build a struct array which includes an 'index' field to push
-            # as history
-            history = np.array(
-                np.arange(len(history_output)),
-                dtype=dst.array.dtype
-            )
-            history[fsp_func_name] = history_output
-
-            # check for data length mis-allignment and fill missing values
-            diff = len(src.array) - len(history)
-            if diff >= 0:
-                print(f"WTF DIFF SIGNAL to HISTORY {diff}")
-                for _ in range(diff):
-                    dst.push(history[:1])
-
-            # compare with source signal and time align
-            index = dst.push(history)
-
-            await ctx.send_yield(index)
-
-            # setup a respawn handle
-            with trio.CancelScope() as cs:
-                task_status.started(cs)
-
-                # rt stream
-                async for processed in out_stream:
-                    log.debug(f"{fsp_func_name}: {processed}")
-                    index = src.index
-                    dst.array[-1][fsp_func_name] = processed
-
-                    # stream latest shm array index entry
-                    await ctx.send_yield(index)
-
         last_len = new_len = len(src.array)
 
+        fsp_target = partial(
+            fsp_compute,
+            ctx=ctx,
+            symbol=symbol,
+            feed=feed,
+
+            src=src,
+            dst=dst,
+
+            fsp_func_name=fsp_func_name,
+            func=func
+        )
+
         async with trio.open_nursery() as n:
 
-            cs = await n.start(fsp_compute)
+            cs = await n.start(fsp_target)
 
             # Increment the underlying shared memory buffer on every
             # "increment" msg received from the underlying data feed.
@@ -176,7 +210,7 @@ async def cascade(
                         # respawn the signal compute task if the source
                         # signal has been updated
                         cs.cancel()
-                        cs = await n.start(fsp_compute)
+                        cs = await n.start(fsp_target)
 
                         # TODO: adopt an incremental update engine/approach
                         # where possible here eventually!
diff --git a/piker/ui/_exec.py b/piker/ui/_exec.py
index 8a48943d..53de8554 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_exec.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_exec.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import trio
 import tractor
 from outcome import Error
 
-from .._daemon import maybe_open_pikerd
+from .._daemon import maybe_open_pikerd, _tractor_kwargs
 from ..log import get_logger
 from ._pg_overrides import _do_overrides
 
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ def run_qtractor(
         'main': instance,
     }
 
+
+    # override tractor's defaults
+    tractor_kwargs.update(_tractor_kwargs)
+
     # define tractor entrypoint
     async def main():
 
diff --git a/piker/ui/_style.py b/piker/ui/_style.py
index 7284a9d1..322247ec 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_style.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_style.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class DpiAwareFont:
         return self._qfont
 
     @property
-    def px_size(self):
+    def px_size(self) -> int:
         return self._qfont.pixelSize()
 
     def configure_to_dpi(self, screen: Optional[QtGui.QScreen] = None):
diff --git a/piker/ui/order_mode.py b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
index 29efcd0f..07f2b281 100644
--- a/piker/ui/order_mode.py
+++ b/piker/ui/order_mode.py
@@ -319,14 +319,10 @@ async def start_order_mode(
 ) -> None:
 
     # spawn EMS actor-service
-    async with open_ems(
-        brokername,
-        symbol,
-    ) as (book, trades_stream), open_order_mode(
-        symbol,
-        chart,
-        book,
-    ) as order_mode:
+    async with (
+        open_ems(brokername, symbol) as (book, trades_stream),
+        open_order_mode(symbol, chart, book) as order_mode
+    ):
 
         def get_index(time: float):
 
@@ -337,7 +333,7 @@ async def start_order_mode(
             indexes = ohlc['time'] >= time
 
             if any(indexes):
-                return ohlc['index'][indexes[-1]]
+                return ohlc['index'][indexes][-1]
             else:
                 return ohlc['index'][-1]
 
diff --git a/piker/ui/quantdom/charts.py b/piker/ui/quantdom/charts.py
index e2da8586..d35f0742 100644
--- a/piker/ui/quantdom/charts.py
+++ b/piker/ui/quantdom/charts.py
@@ -5,41 +5,7 @@ import pyqtgraph as pg
 from PyQt5 import QtCore, QtGui
 
 
-class SampleLegendItem(pg.graphicsItems.LegendItem.ItemSample):
-
-    def paint(self, p, *args):
-        p.setRenderHint(p.Antialiasing)
-        if isinstance(self.item, tuple):
-            positive = self.item[0].opts
-            negative = self.item[1].opts
-            p.setPen(pg.mkPen(positive['pen']))
-            p.setBrush(pg.mkBrush(positive['brush']))
-            p.drawPolygon(
-                QtGui.QPolygonF(
-                    [
-                        QtCore.QPointF(0, 0),
-                        QtCore.QPointF(18, 0),
-                        QtCore.QPointF(18, 18),
-                    ]
-                )
-            )
-            p.setPen(pg.mkPen(negative['pen']))
-            p.setBrush(pg.mkBrush(negative['brush']))
-            p.drawPolygon(
-                QtGui.QPolygonF(
-                    [
-                        QtCore.QPointF(0, 0),
-                        QtCore.QPointF(0, 18),
-                        QtCore.QPointF(18, 18),
-                    ]
-                )
-            )
-        else:
-            opts = self.item.opts
-            p.setPen(pg.mkPen(opts['pen']))
-            p.drawRect(0, 10, 18, 0.5)
-
-
+# TODO: test this out as our help menu
 class CenteredTextItem(QtGui.QGraphicsTextItem):
     def __init__(
         self,