diff --git a/chainlib/eth/block.py b/chainlib/eth/block.py
index d06ff1c..a791a35 100644
--- a/chainlib/eth/block.py
+++ b/chainlib/eth/block.py
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import sys
+# standard imports
+import logging
+import datetime
+
 # external imports
 from chainlib.jsonrpc import JSONRPCRequest
 from chainlib.block import Block as BaseBlock
@@ -12,6 +15,8 @@ from hexathon import (
 from chainlib.eth.tx import Tx
 from .src import Src
 
+logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 def block_latest(id_generator=None):
     """Implements chainlib.interface.ChainInterface method
@@ -87,21 +92,29 @@ class Block(BaseBlock, Src):
    
     tx_generator = Tx
 
-    def __init__(self, src):
-        super(Block, self).__init__(src)
-        import sys
-        self.set_hash(src['hash'])
+    def __init__(self, src=None):
+        super(Block, self).__init__(src=src)
+
+        self.set_hash(self.src['hash'])
         try:
-            self.number = int(strip_0x(src['number']), 16)
+            self.number = int(strip_0x(self.src['number']), 16)
         except TypeError:
-            self.number = int(src['number'])
-        self.txs = src['transactions']
-        self.block_src = src
+            self.number = int(self.src['number'])
+        self.txs = self.src['transactions']
+        self.block_src = self.src
         try:
-            self.timestamp = int(strip_0x(src['timestamp']), 16)
+            self.timestamp = int(strip_0x(self.src['timestamp']), 16)
         except TypeError:
-            self.timestamp = int(src['timestamp'])
-        self.author = src['author']
+            self.timestamp = int(self.src['timestamp'])
+
+        try:
+            self.author = self.src['author']
+        except KeyError:
+            self.author = self.src['miner']
+
+        self.fee_limit = self.src['gas_limit']
+        self.fee_cost = self.src['gas_used']
+        self.parent_hash = self.src['parent_hash']
 
 
     def tx_index_by_hash(self, tx_hash):
@@ -121,3 +134,29 @@ class Block(BaseBlock, Src):
         if idx == -1:
             raise AttributeError('tx {} not found in block {}'.format(tx_hash, self.hash))
         return idx
+
+
+    def to_human(self):
+        s = """hash: {}
+number: {}
+parent: {}
+timestamp: {}
+time: {}
+author: {}
+gas_limit: {}
+gas_used: {}
+txs: {}
+""".format(
+    self.hash,
+    self.number,
+    self.parent_hash,
+    self.timestamp,
+    datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(self.timestamp),
+    self.author,
+    self.fee_limit,
+    self.fee_cost,
+    len(self.txs),
+        )
+
+        return s
+
diff --git a/chainlib/eth/runnable/balance.py b/chainlib/eth/runnable/balance.py
index 4a65775..8ef49e5 100644
--- a/chainlib/eth/runnable/balance.py
+++ b/chainlib/eth/runnable/balance.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ logg = logging.getLogger()
 
 script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) 
 
-argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser() #arg_flags)
+argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser()
 arg_flags = ArgFlag()
 arg = Arg(arg_flags)
 flags = arg_flags.STD_READ
diff --git a/chainlib/eth/runnable/block.py b/chainlib/eth/runnable/block.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d75173
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chainlib/eth/runnable/block.py
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+
+# standard imports
+import sys
+import os
+import json
+import argparse
+import logging
+import enum
+import select
+
+# external imports
+from potaahto.symbols import snake_and_camel
+from hexathon import (
+        add_0x,
+        strip_0x,
+        )
+import sha3
+from chainlib.jsonrpc import (
+        JSONRPCRequest,
+        jsonrpc_result,
+        IntSequenceGenerator,
+        )
+from chainlib.chain import ChainSpec
+from chainlib.status import Status
+
+# local imports
+from chainlib.eth.connection import EthHTTPConnection
+from chainlib.eth.tx import (
+        Tx,
+        pack,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.address import (
+        to_checksum_address,
+        is_checksum_address,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.block import (
+        Block,
+        block_by_hash,
+        block_by_number,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.runnable.util import decode_for_puny_humans
+from chainlib.eth.jsonrpc import to_blockheight_param
+import chainlib.eth.cli
+from chainlib.eth.cli.arg import (
+        Arg,
+        ArgFlag,
+        process_args,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.cli.config import (
+        Config,
+        process_config,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.cli.log import process_log
+
+logg = logging.getLogger()
+
+script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) 
+config_dir = os.path.join(script_dir, '..', 'data', 'config')
+
+argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser()
+arg_flags = ArgFlag()
+arg = Arg(arg_flags)
+flags = arg_flags.STD_BASE_READ
+flags = arg_flags.less(flags, arg_flags.CHAIN_SPEC)
+argparser = process_args(argparser, arg, flags)
+argparser.add_argument('block', nargs='?', type=str, help='Block hash or number to retrieve')
+args = argparser.parse_args()
+
+logg = process_log(args, logg)
+
+config = Config()
+config = process_config(config, arg, args, flags)
+logg.debug('config loaded:\n{}'.format(config))
+
+rpc = chainlib.eth.cli.Rpc()
+conn = rpc.connect_by_config(config)
+
+chain_spec = ChainSpec.from_chain_str(config.get('CHAIN_SPEC'))
+
+item = add_0x(args.block)
+
+
+def get_block(conn, block_identifier, id_generator):
+    maybe_hex = None
+    r = None
+    try:
+        maybe_hex = strip_0x(block_identifier)
+    except ValueError:
+        r = get_block_number(conn, block_identifier, id_generator)
+
+    if len(maybe_hex) != 64:
+        r = get_block_number(conn, block_identifier, id_generator)
+
+    if maybe_hex != block_identifier:
+        r = get_block_hash(conn, block_identifier, id_generator)
+    else:
+        r = get_block_number(conn, block_identifier, id_generator)
+
+    return block_process(r)
+
+
+def get_block_number(conn, block_number, id_generator):
+    block_number = int(block_number)
+    o = block_by_number(block_number, include_tx=False)
+    block_src = conn.do(o)
+    if block_src == None:
+        logg.error('Block number {} not found'.format(block_number))
+        sys.exit(1)
+    return block_src
+
+def get_block_hash(conn, block_hash, id_generator):
+    block_hash = add_0x(block_hash)
+    o = block_by_hash(block_hash, include_tx=False)
+    block_src = conn.do(o)
+    if block_src == None:
+        logg.error('Block hash {} not found'.format(block_hash))
+        sys.exit(1)
+    return block_src
+
+
+def block_process(block_src):
+    return Block(block_src)
+
+
+def main():
+    block_identifier = item
+    r = get_block(conn, block_identifier, rpc.id_generator)
+    if not config.true('_RAW'):
+        r = r.to_human()
+    else:
+        r = repr(r)
+    if r != None:
+        print(r)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/chainlib/eth/runnable/count.py b/chainlib/eth/runnable/count.py
index 6ad040a..4085901 100644
--- a/chainlib/eth/runnable/count.py
+++ b/chainlib/eth/runnable/count.py
@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@ import select
 
 # local imports
 import chainlib.eth.cli
+from chainlib.eth.cli.arg import (
+        Arg,
+        ArgFlag,
+        process_args,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.cli.config import (
+        Config,
+        process_config,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.cli.log import process_log
 from chainlib.eth.address import AddressChecksum
 from chainlib.eth.connection import EthHTTPConnection
 from chainlib.eth.tx import count
@@ -25,11 +35,21 @@ logg = logging.getLogger()
 script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) 
 config_dir = os.path.join(script_dir, '..', 'data', 'config')
 
-arg_flags = chainlib.eth.cli.argflag_std_base_read | chainlib.eth.cli.Flag.WALLET
-argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser(arg_flags)
-argparser.add_positional('address', type=str, help='Ethereum address of recipient')
+argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser()
+arg_flags = ArgFlag()
+arg = Arg(arg_flags)
+flags = arg_flags.STD_BASE_READ | arg_flags.WALLET | arg_flags.UNSAFE
+argparser = process_args(argparser, arg, flags)
+
+argparser.add_argument('address', type=str, help='Ethereum address of recipient')
 args = argparser.parse_args()
-config = chainlib.eth.cli.Config.from_args(args, arg_flags, default_config_dir=config_dir)
+
+logg = process_log(args, logg)
+logg.debug('flags {} {} {}'.format(flags, arg_flags.SEQ, flags & arg_flags.SEQ))
+
+config = Config()
+config = process_config(config, arg, args, flags)
+logg.debug('config loaded:\n{}'.format(config))
 
 holder_address = args.address
 wallet = chainlib.eth.cli.Wallet()
diff --git a/chainlib/eth/runnable/get.py b/chainlib/eth/runnable/get.py
index d0db644..90277d1 100644
--- a/chainlib/eth/runnable/get.py
+++ b/chainlib/eth/runnable/get.py
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ from chainlib.eth.block import (
 from chainlib.eth.runnable.util import decode_for_puny_humans
 from chainlib.eth.jsonrpc import to_blockheight_param
 import chainlib.eth.cli
+from chainlib.eth.cli.arg import (
+        Arg,
+        ArgFlag,
+        process_args,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.cli.config import (
+        Config,
+        process_config,
+        )
+from chainlib.eth.cli.log import process_log
 
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARNING, format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(filename)s:%(lineno)d %(message)s')
 logg = logging.getLogger()
@@ -48,12 +58,20 @@ logg = logging.getLogger()
 script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) 
 config_dir = os.path.join(script_dir, '..', 'data', 'config')
 
-arg_flags = chainlib.eth.cli.argflag_std_base_read 
-arg_flags = chainlib.eth.cli.argflag_reset(arg_flags, chainlib.eth.cli.Flag.CHAIN_SPEC)
-argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser(arg_flags)
-argparser.add_positional('item', type=str, help='Address or transaction to retrieve data for')
+argparser = chainlib.eth.cli.ArgumentParser()
+arg_flags = ArgFlag()
+arg = Arg(arg_flags)
+flags = arg_flags.STD_BASE_READ
+flags = arg_flags.less(flags, arg_flags.CHAIN_SPEC)
+argparser = process_args(argparser, arg, flags)
+argparser.add_argument('item', type=str, help='Address or transaction to retrieve data for')
 args = argparser.parse_args()
-config = chainlib.eth.cli.Config.from_args(args, arg_flags, default_config_dir=config_dir)
+
+logg = process_log(args, logg)
+
+config = Config()
+config = process_config(config, arg, args, flags)
+logg.debug('config loaded:\n{}'.format(config))
 
 rpc = chainlib.eth.cli.Rpc()
 conn = rpc.connect_by_config(config)
diff --git a/chainlib/eth/src.py b/chainlib/eth/src.py
index dbf86d6..da22df3 100644
--- a/chainlib/eth/src.py
+++ b/chainlib/eth/src.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # standard imports
 import logging
+import json
 
 # external imports
 from potaahto.symbols import snake_and_camel
@@ -46,3 +47,7 @@ class Src(BaseSrc):
             v = uniform(v, compact_value=False, allow_empty=True)
 
         return v
+
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return json.dumps(self.src)
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 8d11aed..c626816 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -48,3 +48,4 @@ console_scripts =
 	eth-info = chainlib.eth.runnable.info:main
 	eth-nonce = chainlib.eth.runnable.count:main
 	eth-wait = chainlib.eth.runnable.wait:main
+	eth-block = chainlib.eth.runnable.block:main