diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 399022c..0694d1e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-# gmi-web
-
-This repo is home to [a gmi-to-html reference](#gmi-to-html), [the gmi-web(1) command-line tool](#gmi-web-1) and [a gmi.css stylesheet](#gmi-css).
+This project is home to a [gmi-to-html reference](#gmi-to-html), the [gmi-web(1) ](#gmi-web-1) command-line tool and a [gmi.css](#gmi-css) stylesheet.
 
 # gmi-to-html
 
@@ -15,12 +13,12 @@ The converted Gemini document should exist inside the `<body>`. Consider if shar
 <blockquote>  ↔  >
 ````
 
-List items must be wrapped with a `<ul>` tag. Empty lines should be represented as `<p><br></p>`. Take care to render `<pre>` blocks with their original formatting, DO NOT indent the generated
+List items must be wrapped with a `<ul>` tag. Take care to render `<pre>` blocks with their original formatting, DO NOT indent the generated
 HTML for these tags.
 
-`<a>` tags are categorized as [inline](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Flow_Layout/Block_and_Inline_Layout_in_Normal_Flow) which CSS 2.1's _Normal Flow_ presents vertically—Gemini only deals with horizontally flowing content, this can be addressed by either using `a {display: block;}` at the CSS level or by wrapping `<a>` tags in a "block" level element such as `<p>`. [MDN: Changing Element Levels](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Inline_elements#changing_element_levels)
+`<a>` tags are categorized as [inline](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Flow_Layout/Block_and_Inline_Layout_in_Normal_Flow#elements_participating_in_an_inline_formatting_context) which CSS 2.1's [Normal Flow](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/CSS/CSS_layout/Normal_Flow) presents _vertically_—Gemini only deals with _horizontally_ flowing content, this can be addressed by using [`display: block;` at the CSS level.](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Flow_Layout/Block_and_Inline_Layout_in_Normal_Flow#changing_the_formatting_context_an_element_participates_in)
 
-### Optional: inline media
+### optional: inline media
 
 If a link is consumable by `<img>`, `<audio>` or `<video>` you may insert the respective tag inline, instead of an `<a>`. Images and video should be styled to have `max-width: 100%;` so they don't overflow the body. It's a good idea to also include the `controls` attribute. These are all categorized as inline just like `<a>` and will need `display: block;` styling or to be wrapped in a "block" level element.
 
@@ -48,8 +46,7 @@ These may also be nice to have:
 # gmi-web(1)
 
 ```sh
-npm install --global gmi-web-cli
-gmi-web --help
+npm install --global gmi-web-cli && gmi-web --help
 ```
 
 ```
@@ -57,22 +54,8 @@ gmi-web [files..]
 
 Convert text/gemini to text/html.
 
-Core:
-  --html, --language, --lang                                            [string]
-  --body                                                               [boolean]
-
-HTML:
-  --author                                                              [string]
-  --descriptions                                           [number] [default: 0]
-  --css                                                        [default: "full"]
-  --dir                        [string] [choices: "rtl", "ltr"] [default: "ltr"]
-
-Inline Media:
-  --image                                                                [array]
-  --audio                                                                [array]
-  --video                                                                [array]
-
 CSS:
+  --inline                                                             [boolean]
   --serif                                     [default: "georgia, times, serif"]
   --sans-serif                 [default: "avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"]
   --mono                                [default: "consolas, monaco, monospace"]
@@ -99,10 +82,24 @@ CSS:
   --ul-line-height                                             [default: "1.25"]
   --quote-line-height                                          [default: "1.25"]
 
+Core:
+  --html, --language, --lang                                            [string]
+  --body                                                               [boolean]
+
+HTML:
+  --author                                                              [string]
+  --descriptions                                           [number] [default: 0]
+  --css                                                        [default: "full"]
+  --dir                        [string] [choices: "rtl", "ltr"] [default: "ltr"]
+
+Inline Media:
+  --image                                                                [array]
+  --audio                                                                [array]
+  --video                                                                [array]
+
 Options:
   --version  Show version number                                       [boolean]
   --config   Path to JSON config file
-  --inline                                                             [boolean]
   --help     Show help                                                 [boolean]
 
 Examples:
@@ -152,6 +149,6 @@ The CSS variables exposed by gmi-web(1) are derived from [gmi.css](./gmi.css), w
 The `--foreground` and `--background` variables will be inverted when
 [prefers-color-scheme](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media/prefers-color-scheme) is "dark".
 
-# License
+# license
 
 gmi-web is free and unencumbered public domain software. For more information, see http://unlicense.org/ or the accompanying UNLICENSE file.
diff --git a/cli.js b/cli.js
index 6cc9a04..1d95cf7 100755
--- a/cli.js
+++ b/cli.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ const cli = yargs(process.argv.slice(2))
     },
     inline: {
       type: "boolean",
+      group: "CSS:",
     },
     image: {
       type: "array",
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ const cli = yargs(process.argv.slice(2))
       type: "boolean",
       hidden: true,
       default: false,
+      group: "CSS:",
     },
   })
   .group(["html", "body"], "Core:")
diff --git a/core.css b/core.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73360fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core.css
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+p,
+pre,
+ul,
+blockquote,
+h1,
+h2,
+h3 {
+  margin-top: 0;
+  margin-bottom: 0;
+  overflow-wrap: break-word;
+}
+p:empty {
+  margin: revert;
+}
+
+a {
+  display: block;
+}
+
+pre {
+  overflow-y: auto;
+}
diff --git a/css.js b/css.js
index 3322952..9c6aab5 100644
--- a/css.js
+++ b/css.js
@@ -1,24 +1,16 @@
 import { readFileSync } from "fs";
+// TODO import.meta.resolve is supposed to accomplish this without "path"
 import path from "path";
 import { stringify, parse } from "css";
 export { stringify, parse };
 
-export const CORE = parse(`p, pre, ul, blockquote, h1, h2, h3 {
-  margin-top: 0;
-  margin-bottom: 0;
-  overflow-wrap: break-word;
-  hyphens: auto;
-}
+export const CORE = parse(
+  readFileSync(
+    path.resolve(path.dirname(new URL(import.meta.url).pathname), "./core.css"),
+    "utf-8"
+  )
+);
 
-a { display: block; }
-
-img, audio, video {
-  display: block;
-  max-width: 100%;
-}
-`);
-
-// TODO import.meta.resolve is supposed to accomplish this without "path"
 export const FULL = parse(
   readFileSync(
     path.resolve(path.dirname(new URL(import.meta.url).pathname), "./gmi.css"),
diff --git a/gmi.css b/gmi.css
index 5767033..36a9474 100644
--- a/gmi.css
+++ b/gmi.css
@@ -1,23 +1,26 @@
 p,
 pre,
 ul,
+blockquote,
 h1,
 h2,
 h3 {
   margin-top: 0;
   margin-bottom: 0;
   overflow-wrap: break-word;
-  hyphens: auto;
 }
-
-blockquote {
-  margin: 0;
+p:empty {
+  margin: revert;
 }
 
 a {
   display: block;
 }
 
+pre {
+  overflow-y: auto;
+}
+
 img,
 audio,
 video {
@@ -26,110 +29,116 @@ video {
 }
 
 :root {
-  --serif: georgia, times, serif;
-  --sans-serif: avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
-  --mono: consolas, monaco, monospace;
   --foreground: black;
   --background: white;
 
+  --body-width: 48rem;
+  --hyphens: manual;
+
+  --serif: georgia, times, serif;
+  --sans-serif: avenir, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
+  --mono: consolas, monaco, monospace;
+
+  --p-family: var(--serif);
+  --p-size: 1.25rem;
+  --p-height: 1.5;
+  --p-indent: 0rem;
+
+  --a-family: var(--serif);
+  --a-size: var(--p-size);
+  --a-height: 1.5;
   --a-decoration: underline;
   --a-style: normal;
-  --ul-bullet: "*";
-  --p-indent: 0rem;
-  --quote-style: italic;
 
-  --body-width: 48rem;
-  --p-size: 1.25rem;
-  --a-size: var(--p-size);
+  --pre-family: var(--mono);
   --pre-size: 1rem;
-  --h1-size: 3rem;
-  --h2-size: 2.25rem;
-  --h3-size: 1.5rem;
-  --ul-size: var(--p-size);
-  --quote-size: var(--p-size);
+  --pre-height: 1;
 
-  --p-line-height: 1.5;
-  --a-line-height: 1.5;
-  --pre-line-height: 1;
-  --h-line-height: 1.25;
-  --ul-line-height: 1.25;
-  --quote-line-height: 1.25;
+  --h1-family: var(--sans-serif);
+  --h1-size: 3rem;
+  --h1-height: 1.25;
+
+  --h2-family: var(--sans-serif);
+  --h2-size: 2.25rem;
+  --h2-height: 1.25;
+
+  --h3-family: var(--sans-serif);
+  --h3-size: 1.5rem;
+  --h3-height: 1.25;
+
+  --ul-family: var(--serif);
+  --ul-size: var(--p-size);
+  --ul-height: 1.25;
+
+  --quote-family: var(--serif);
+  --quote-size: var(--p-size);
+  --quote-height: 1.25;
+  --quote-style: italic;
 }
 
 body {
-  max-width: var(--body-width);
-  padding: 0.5rem;
   margin: 0 auto;
-}
-
-h1,
-h2,
-h3 {
-  font-family: var(--sans-serif);
-  line-height: var(--h-line-height);
+  padding: 0.5rem;
+  max-width: var(--body-width);
+  hyphens: var(--hyphens);
 }
 
 p {
+  font-family: var(--p-family);
   font-size: var(--p-size);
-  font-family: var(--serif);
+  line-height: var(--p-height);
   text-indent: var(--p-indent);
-  line-height: var(--p-line-height);
 }
 
 a {
   font-size: var(--a-size);
   font-style: var(--a-style);
   font-family: var(--serif);
+  line-height: var(--a-line-height);
   text-decoration: var(--a-decoration);
 }
 
 pre {
+  padding: 1rem;
+  font-family: var(--pre-family);
   font-size: var(--pre-size);
-  font-family: var(--mono);
-  line-height: var(--pre-line-height);
-  padding: 1.25rem;
-  overflow-y: auto;
+  line-height: var(--pre-height);
 }
 
 h1 {
+  font-family: var(--h1-family);
   font-size: var(--h1-size);
+  line-height: var(--h1-height);
 }
 
 h2 {
+  font-family: var(--h2-family);
   font-size: var(--h2-size);
+  line-height: var(--h2-height);
 }
 
 h3 {
+  font-family: var(--h3-family);
   font-size: var(--h3-size);
+  line-height: var(--h3-height);
 }
 
 ul {
-  padding-left: 0;
+  padding-left: 1rem;
+  list-style-type: var(--ul-style);
   font-size: var(--ul-size);
-  font-family: var(--serif);
-  line-height: var(--ul-line-height);
-  list-style-type: none;
-}
-
-li::before {
-  font-size: var(--ul-size);
-  font-family: var(--serif);
-  content: var(--ul-bullet);
-  vertical-align: middle;
-  padding-right: 0.5rem;
+  font-family: var(--ul-family);
+  line-height: var(--ul-height);
 }
 
 blockquote {
+  margin-left: 0;
+  margin-right: 0;
+  padding-left: 0.5rem;
+  font-family: var(--quote-family);
   font-size: var(--quote-size);
-  font-family: var(--serif);
   font-style: var(--quote-style);
-  line-height: var(--quote-line-height);
-  padding-left: 0.75rem;
-}
-
-pre + blockquote {
-  padding-top: 0.5rem;
-  padding-bottom: 0.5rem;
+  line-height: var(--quote-height);
 }
 
 /* foreground and background colors */
diff --git a/html.js b/html.js
index 1a7e509..671b816 100644
--- a/html.js
+++ b/html.js
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ export function block(
 ) {
   let type = "p";
   let props = "";
-  let content = "<br>";
-  if (text && text !== "") {
+  let content = "";
+  if (text) {
     content = text;
   }
   if (h1) {
@@ -53,11 +53,10 @@ export function block(
       props += ` href=${href}`;
     }
   }
-  if (options.body || options.inline) props += CSS.inline(type, options);
+  if (options.body || options.inline)
+    content !== "" ? (props += CSS.inline(type, options)) : "";
 
-  return `<${type}${props}>${
-    content !== "<br>" ? escape(content) : content
-  }</${type}>`;
+  return `<${type}${props}>${escape(content)}</${type}>`;
 }
 
 export function body(tokens, options) {
