diff --git a/notes_to_self.rst b/notes_to_self.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..42abd522
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes_to_self.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+Notes to self
+=============
+chicken scratch we shan't forget, consider this staging
+for actual feature issues on wtv git wrapper-provider we're
+using (no we shan't stick with GH long term likely).
+
+
+cool chart features
+-------------------
+- allow right-click to spawn shell with current in view
+  data passed to the new process via ``msgpack-numpy``.
+- expand OHLC datum to lower time frame.
+- auto-highlight current time range on tick feed
+
+
+features from IB charting
+-------------------------
+- vlm diffing from ticks and compare when bar arrives from historical
+  - should help isolate dark vlm / trades
+
+
+chart ux ideas
+--------------
+- hotkey to zoom to order intersection (horizontal line) with previous
+  price levels (+ some margin obvs).
+- L1 "lines" (queue size repr) should normalize to some fixed x width
+  such that when levels with more vlm appear other smaller levels are
+  scaled down giving an immediate indication of the liquidity diff.
diff --git a/piker/_profile.py b/piker/_profile.py
index fa38d065..06abc09a 100644
--- a/piker/_profile.py
+++ b/piker/_profile.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Profiling wrappers for internal libs.
 import time
 from functools import wraps
 
-_pg_profile: bool = False
+_pg_profile: bool = True
 
 
 def pg_profile_enabled() -> bool:
diff --git a/piker/brokers/binance.py b/piker/brokers/binance.py
index 8a3f42e9..4d82474b 100644
--- a/piker/brokers/binance.py
+++ b/piker/brokers/binance.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Binance backend
 
 """
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
-from typing import List, Dict, Any, Tuple, Union, Optional
+from typing import List, Dict, Any, Tuple, Union, Optional, AsyncGenerator
 import time
 
 import trio
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from .._cacheables import open_cached_client
 from ._util import resproc, SymbolNotFound
 from ..log import get_logger, get_console_log
 from ..data import ShmArray
-from ..data._web_bs import open_autorecon_ws
+from ..data._web_bs import open_autorecon_ws, NoBsWs
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Client:
         )
         # repack in dict form
         return {item[0]['symbol']: item[0]
-         for item in matches}
+                for item in matches}
 
     async def bars(
         self,
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ class AggTrade(BaseModel):
     M: bool  # Ignore
 
 
-async def stream_messages(ws):
+async def stream_messages(ws: NoBsWs) -> AsyncGenerator[NoBsWs, dict]:
 
     timeouts = 0
     while True:
@@ -487,11 +487,20 @@ async def stream_quotes(
             # signal to caller feed is ready for consumption
             feed_is_live.set()
 
+            # import time
+            # last = time.time()
+
             # start streaming
             async for typ, msg in msg_gen:
 
+                # period = time.time() - last
+                # hz = 1/period if period else float('inf')
+                # if hz > 60:
+                #     log.info(f'Binance quotez : {hz}')
+
                 topic = msg['symbol'].lower()
                 await send_chan.send({topic: msg})
+                # last = time.time()
 
 
 @tractor.context
diff --git a/piker/calc.py b/piker/calc.py
index d5d8d4e1..d629b28c 100644
--- a/piker/calc.py
+++ b/piker/calc.py
@@ -27,27 +27,32 @@ _mag2suffix = bidict({3: 'k', 6: 'M', 9: 'B'})
 
 
 def humanize(
-
     number: float,
     digits: int = 1
 
 ) -> str:
-    '''Convert large numbers to something with at most ``digits`` and
+    '''
+    Convert large numbers to something with at most ``digits`` and
     a letter suffix (eg. k: thousand, M: million, B: billion).
 
     '''
     try:
         float(number)
     except ValueError:
-        return 0
+        return '0'
+
     if not number or number <= 0:
-        return round(number, ndigits=digits)
+        return str(round(number, ndigits=digits))
 
-    mag = math.floor(math.log(number, 10))
+    mag = round(math.log(number, 10))
     if mag < 3:
-        return round(number, ndigits=digits)
+        return str(round(number, ndigits=digits))
 
-    maxmag = max(itertools.takewhile(lambda key: mag >= key, _mag2suffix))
+    maxmag = max(
+        itertools.takewhile(
+            lambda key: mag >= key, _mag2suffix
+        )
+    )
 
     return "{value}{suffix}".format(
         value=round(number/10**maxmag, ndigits=digits),
diff --git a/piker/clearing/_ems.py b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
index f802b8a3..e1017f64 100644
--- a/piker/clearing/_ems.py
+++ b/piker/clearing/_ems.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ In da suit parlances: "Execution management systems"
 """
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from math import isnan
 from pprint import pformat
 import time
 from typing import AsyncIterator, Callable
@@ -47,9 +48,11 @@ log = get_logger(__name__)
 
 # TODO: numba all of this
 def mk_check(
+
     trigger_price: float,
     known_last: float,
     action: str,
+
 ) -> Callable[[float, float], bool]:
     """Create a predicate for given ``exec_price`` based on last known
     price, ``known_last``.
@@ -77,8 +80,7 @@ def mk_check(
 
         return check_lt
 
-    else:
-        return None
+    raise ValueError('trigger: {trigger_price}, last: {known_last}')
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -177,7 +179,15 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
                     tuple(execs.items())
                 ):
 
-                    if not pred or (ttype not in tf) or (not pred(price)):
+                    if (
+                        not pred or
+                        ttype not in tf or
+                        not pred(price)
+                    ):
+                        log.debug(
+                            f'skipping quote for {sym} '
+                            f'{pred}, {ttype} not in {tf}?, {pred(price)}'
+                        )
                         # majority of iterations will be non-matches
                         continue
 
@@ -246,7 +256,11 @@ async def clear_dark_triggers(
 
                     # remove exec-condition from set
                     log.info(f'removing pred for {oid}')
-                    execs.pop(oid)
+                    pred = execs.pop(oid, None)
+                    if not pred:
+                        log.warning(
+                            f'pred for {oid} was already removed!?'
+                        )
 
                     await ems_client_order_stream.send(msg)
 
@@ -1005,7 +1019,8 @@ async def _emsd_main(
         first_quote = feed.first_quotes[symbol]
 
         book = _router.get_dark_book(broker)
-        book.lasts[(broker, symbol)] = first_quote['last']
+        last = book.lasts[(broker, symbol)] = first_quote['last']
+        assert not isnan(last)  # ib is a cucker but we've fixed it in the backend
 
         # open a stream with the brokerd backend for order
         # flow dialogue
diff --git a/piker/cli/__init__.py b/piker/cli/__init__.py
index 22022e84..97b6ebc3 100644
--- a/piker/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/cli/__init__.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def services(config, tl, names):
         async with tractor.get_arbiter(
             *_tractor_kwargs['arbiter_addr']
         ) as portal:
-            registry = await portal.run('self', 'get_registry')
+            registry = await portal.run_from_ns('self', 'get_registry')
             json_d = {}
             for uid, socket in registry.items():
                 name, uuid = uid
diff --git a/piker/data/_sampling.py b/piker/data/_sampling.py
index d16bf529..5e702e08 100644
--- a/piker/data/_sampling.py
+++ b/piker/data/_sampling.py
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ async def increment_ohlc_buffer(
 async def iter_ohlc_periods(
     ctx: tractor.Context,
     delay_s: int,
+
 ) -> None:
     """
     Subscribe to OHLC sampling "step" events: when the time
@@ -252,11 +253,17 @@ async def sample_and_broadcast(
                             try:
                                 stream.send_nowait((sym, quote))
                             except trio.WouldBlock:
-                                log.warning(
-                                    f'Feed overrun {bus.brokername} ->'
-                                    f'{stream._ctx.channel.uid} !!!'
-                                )
-
+                                ctx = getattr(sream, '_ctx', None)
+                                if ctx:
+                                    log.warning(
+                                        f'Feed overrun {bus.brokername} ->'
+                                        f'{ctx.channel.uid} !!!'
+                                    )
+                                else:
+                                    log.warning(
+                                        f'Feed overrun {bus.brokername} -> '
+                                        f'feed @ {tick_throttle} Hz'
+                                    )
                         else:
                             await stream.send({sym: quote})
 
@@ -270,18 +277,20 @@ async def sample_and_broadcast(
                     trio.ClosedResourceError,
                     trio.EndOfChannel,
                 ):
+                    ctx = getattr(stream, '_ctx', None)
+                    if ctx:
+                        log.warning(
+                            f'{ctx.chan.uid} dropped  '
+                            '`brokerd`-quotes-feed connection'
+                        )
+                    if tick_throttle:
+                        assert stream.closed()
+
                     # 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.warning(
-                        f'{stream._ctx.chan.uid} dropped  '
-                        '`brokerd`-quotes-feed connection'
-                    )
-                    if tick_throttle:
-                        assert stream.closed()
-                        # await stream.aclose()
-
+                    # be single-threaded. Doing it anyway though
+                    # since there seems to be some kinda race..
                     subs.remove((stream, tick_throttle))
 
 
diff --git a/piker/data/_sharedmem.py b/piker/data/_sharedmem.py
index 5d38cbbd..9c515ce3 100644
--- a/piker/data/_sharedmem.py
+++ b/piker/data/_sharedmem.py
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@ def open_shm_array(
 
     # "unlink" created shm on process teardown by
     # pushing teardown calls onto actor context stack
+
     tractor._actor._lifetime_stack.callback(shmarr.close)
     tractor._actor._lifetime_stack.callback(shmarr.destroy)
 
diff --git a/piker/data/_source.py b/piker/data/_source.py
index 46302508..8ec92dfd 100644
--- a/piker/data/_source.py
+++ b/piker/data/_source.py
@@ -133,9 +133,11 @@ def mk_symbol(
 
 
 def from_df(
+
     df: pd.DataFrame,
     source=None,
     default_tf=None
+
 ) -> np.recarray:
     """Convert OHLC formatted ``pandas.DataFrame`` to ``numpy.recarray``.
 
diff --git a/piker/data/_web_bs.py b/piker/data/_web_bs.py
index 485f69c2..d2a15e06 100644
--- a/piker/data/_web_bs.py
+++ b/piker/data/_web_bs.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ ToOlS fOr CoPInG wITh "tHE wEB" protocols.
 """
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager, AsyncExitStack
 from types import ModuleType
-from typing import Any, Callable
+from typing import Any, Callable, AsyncGenerator
 import json
 
 import trio
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ async def open_autorecon_ws(
 
     # TODO: proper type annot smh
     fixture: Callable,
-):
+) -> AsyncGenerator[tuple[...],  NoBsWs]:
     """Apparently we can QoS for all sorts of reasons..so catch em.
 
     """
diff --git a/piker/data/feed.py b/piker/data/feed.py
index 1e0c55b2..b3e1efd6 100644
--- a/piker/data/feed.py
+++ b/piker/data/feed.py
@@ -592,7 +592,8 @@ async def maybe_open_feed(
     **kwargs,
 
 ) -> (Feed, ReceiveChannel[dict[str, Any]]):
-    '''Maybe open a data to a ``brokerd`` daemon only if there is no
+    '''
+    Maybe open a data to a ``brokerd`` daemon only if there is no
     local one for the broker-symbol pair, if one is cached use it wrapped
     in a tractor broadcast receiver.
 
diff --git a/piker/ui/_curve.py b/piker/ui/_curve.py
index 161332d5..15b19f76 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_curve.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_curve.py
@@ -328,8 +328,10 @@ class FastAppendCurve(pg.PlotCurveItem):
         profiler = pg.debug.Profiler(disabled=not pg_profile_enabled())
         # p.setRenderHint(p.Antialiasing, True)
 
-        if self._step_mode:
-
+        if (
+            self._step_mode
+            and self._last_step_rect
+        ):
             brush = self.opts['brush']
             # p.drawLines(*tuple(filter(bool, self._last_step_lines)))
             # p.drawRect(self._last_step_rect)
diff --git a/piker/ui/_event.py b/piker/ui/_event.py
index 9e087dd4..f9982843 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_event.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_event.py
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ import trio
 from PyQt5 import QtCore
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QEvent, pyqtBoundSignal
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QWidget
-from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent as gs_mouse
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import (
+    QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent as gs_mouse,
+)
 
 
 MOUSE_EVENTS = {
@@ -129,6 +131,8 @@ class EventRelay(QtCore.QObject):
             # TODO: is there a global setting for this?
             if ev.isAutoRepeat() and self._filter_auto_repeats:
                 ev.ignore()
+                # filter out this event and stop it's processing
+                # https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qobject.html#installEventFilter
                 return True
 
             # NOTE: the event object instance coming out
@@ -152,9 +156,6 @@ class EventRelay(QtCore.QObject):
 
         # **do not** filter out this event
         # and instead forward to the source widget
-        return False
-
-        # filter out this event
         # https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qobject.html#installEventFilter
         return False
 
diff --git a/piker/ui/_forms.py b/piker/ui/_forms.py
index 72053716..6406a199 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_forms.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_forms.py
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ class Selection(QComboBox):
     def __init__(
         self,
         parent=None,
-
     ) -> None:
 
         self._items: dict[str, int] = {}
@@ -200,7 +199,6 @@ class Selection(QComboBox):
 
     def set_style(
         self,
-
         color: str,
         font_size: int,
 
@@ -217,6 +215,7 @@ class Selection(QComboBox):
     def resize(
         self,
         char: str = 'W',
+
     ) -> None:
         br = _font.boundingRect(str(char))
         _, h = br.width(), br.height()
@@ -238,9 +237,11 @@ class Selection(QComboBox):
         keys: list[str],
 
     ) -> None:
-        '''Write keys to the selection verbatim.
+        '''
+        Write keys to the selection verbatim.
 
         All other items are cleared beforehand.
+
         '''
         self.clear()
         self._items.clear()
@@ -536,7 +537,8 @@ async def open_form_input_handling(
 
 
 class FillStatusBar(QProgressBar):
-    '''A status bar for fills up to a position limit.
+    '''
+    A status bar for fills up to a position limit.
 
     '''
     border_px: int = 2
@@ -663,6 +665,7 @@ def mk_fill_status_bar(
     )
 
     bar_labels_lhs.addSpacing(5/8 * bar_h)
+
     bar_labels_lhs.addWidget(
         left_label,
         # XXX: doesn't seem to actually push up against
diff --git a/piker/ui/_search.py b/piker/ui/_search.py
index 94a2fd56..f1fc1f4e 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_search.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_search.py
@@ -347,7 +347,8 @@ class CompleterView(QTreeView):
         clear_all: bool = False,
 
     ) -> None:
-        '''Set result-rows for depth = 1 tree section ``section``.
+        '''
+        Set result-rows for depth = 1 tree section ``section``.
 
         '''
         model = self.model()
@@ -438,7 +439,8 @@ class SearchBar(Edit):
 
 
 class SearchWidget(QtWidgets.QWidget):
-    '''Composed widget of ``SearchBar`` + ``CompleterView``.
+    '''
+    Composed widget of ``SearchBar`` + ``CompleterView``.
 
     Includes helper methods for item management in the sub-widgets.