[t] add a missing todo - replace a deprecated mode - remove a magic number - and minor improvements
[t] add a missing todo
- replace a deprecated mode
- remove a magic number
- and minor improvements

git-svn-id: 6e74a02f85675cec270f5d931b0f6998666294a3@39814 d31e2699-5ff4-0310-a27c-f18f2fbe73fe

ashgti/parrot,ashgti/parrot,ashgti/parrot,ashgti/parrot,ashgti/parrot,ashgti/parrot,ashgti/parrot