diff --git a/src/args.rs b/src/args.rs
index cc7642b..1801879 100644
--- a/src/args.rs
+++ b/src/args.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use rayon::ThreadPoolBuilder;
 use crate::unit::Unit;
 
 use std::fs::{symlink_metadata, Metadata};
+use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
 use std::path::{Component, Path};
 use std::slice::Iter;
 use std::iter::once_with;
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[arg(
         short, long,
         help = "minimize output",
-        long_help = "print nothing but the total size for all directories, without a newline. Also supresses all error messages",
+        long_help = "print nothing but the total size for all directories, without a newline or units. Also supresses all error messages",
         conflicts_with = "total",
         default_value_t = false,
     )]
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[arg(
         short, long,
         help = "unit to print in",
-        long_help = "printing unit (case insensitive): b = bytes, kb = kilobytes, ki = kibibytes, gb = gigabytes, gi = gibibytes, tb = terabytes, ti = tibibytes",
+        long_help = "printing unit (case insensitive): b = bytes, kb = kilobytes, ki = kibibytes, gb = gigabytes, gi = gibibytes, tb = terabytes, ti = tibibytes, blk/blks/blck/blcks/block/blocks = file system blocks",
         value_parser = Unit::parse,
         default_value_t = Unit::Byte,
         conflicts_with_all = ["base_two","si"],
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ pub struct Args {
         help = "items to summate",
         action = ArgAction::Append,
     )]
-    path: Vec<String>,
+    paths: Vec<String>,
 }
 impl Args {
     /// utility method to chuck default values on the end.
@@ -146,8 +147,8 @@ impl Args {
             self.exclude_print.clear();
         }
 
-        if self.path.is_empty() {
-            self.path = vec![ ".".to_owned() ];
+        if self.paths.is_empty() {
+            self.paths = vec![ ".".to_owned() ];
         }
 
         ThreadPoolBuilder::new()
@@ -158,6 +159,13 @@ impl Args {
         self
     }
 
+    pub fn len(&self, meta: &Metadata) -> u64 {
+        match self.unit {
+            Unit::Blocks => meta.blocks(),
+            _ => meta.len(),
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn should_exclude(&self, path: &Path, file: &Metadata) -> bool {
         if !self.follow_links
         && file.is_symlink()
@@ -202,7 +210,7 @@ impl Args {
     }
 
     pub fn paths(&self) -> Iter<'_, String> {
-        self.path.iter()
+        self.paths.iter()
     }
 }
 
@@ -228,7 +236,7 @@ fn any_pattern_matches_any_component(patterns: &[Pattern], path: &Path) -> bool
                 continue
             };
             let Some(s) = cmp.to_str() else {
-                // this is a code smell
+                // TODO: this is a code smell
                 // I don't believe it, but I can't think
                 // of anything worthwhile to do when
                 // you can't get a usable &str