diff --git a/utility/.gitignore b/utility/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d907c43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*.lua
diff --git a/utility/LICENSE b/utility/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29fad8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2018 Paul Liverman III
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/utility/calc.moon b/utility/calc.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4dbc5a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/calc.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import bytes from require "resty.random"
+import byte from string
+import floor from math
+
+-- return a random number between min/max
+random = (min, max) ->
+  unless max
+    max = min or 1
+    min = 0
+
+  a, b = byte bytes(2), 1, 2
+  c, d = byte bytes(2), 1, 2
+  value = a + b * 256 + c * 65536 + d * 16777216 -- 0 to 4294967296
+  range = max - min
+
+  if max == floor(max) and min == floor(min)
+    return floor value * range / 4294967296 + min
+  else
+    return value * range / 4294967296 + min
+
+-- map a value within a range of numbers to another range
+map = (min1, max1, value, min2, max2) ->
+  range1 = max1 - min1
+  range2 = max2 - min2
+  return ((value - min1) * range2 / range1) + min2
+
+{
+  :random
+  :map
+}
diff --git a/utility/datetime.moon b/utility/datetime.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c256061
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/datetime.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import date, time from os
+
+-- for database
+now = ->
+  return date "!%Y-%m-%d %X"
+
+-- database date -> display
+pretty_date = (str) ->
+  year, month, day = str\match "(%d%d%d%d)-(%d%d)-(%d%d)"
+  return date "%B %d, %Y", time :year, :month, :day
+
+-- from database
+to_seconds = (str) ->
+  year, month, day, hour, min, sec = str\match "(%d%d%d%d)-(%d%d)-(%d%d) (%d%d):(%d%d):(%d%d)"
+  return time :year, :month, :day, :hour, :min, :sec
+
+-- seconds -> for database
+for_db = (seconds) ->
+  return date "!%Y-%m-%d %X", seconds
+
+gmt_date = ->
+  return date "!*t"
+
+gmt_time = ->
+  return time date "!*t"
+
+{
+  none: "1970-01-01 00:00:00" -- TODO deprecate
+  zero: "1970-01-01 00:00:00" -- for use in database
+  :now
+  :pretty_date
+  :to_seconds
+  :for_db
+  :gmt_date
+  :gmt_time
+}
diff --git a/utility/db.moon b/utility/db.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7342b2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/db.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+escape_similar_to = (str) ->
+  -- matches any of %_\|*+?{}()[]
+  -- puts a backslash in front of them
+  str = str\gsub "[%%_\\|%*%+%?{}%(%)%[%]]", "\\%1"
+  return str -- return on seperate line to avoid returning 2nd value from gsub
+
+{
+  :escape_similar_to
+}
diff --git a/utility/fs.moon b/utility/fs.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0901125
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/fs.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+exists = (file_path) ->
+  handle = io.open file_path, "r"
+  if handle
+    handle\close!
+    return true
+  return false
+
+{
+  :exists
+}
diff --git a/utility/gstring.moon b/utility/gstring.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8f0a6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/gstring.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import insert, sort, concat from table
+import sub, len from string
+
+-- splits string by newline into array of strings
+lines = (str) ->
+  tab = {}
+  for line in str\gmatch "[^\n]+"
+    insert tab, line
+  return tab
+
+-- splits string by spaces into a table of strings
+--  (handles bad spacing and duplicate substrings)
+split = (str) ->
+  tab1, tab2 = {}, {}
+  for word in str\gmatch "%S+"
+    tab1[word] = true
+  for word in pairs tab1
+    insert tab2, word
+  return tab2
+
+-- splits string by commas into a table of strings
+--  (expects a well-formated string!)
+comma_split = (str) ->
+  tab = {}
+  for word in str\gmatch "[^,]+"
+    insert tab, word
+  return tab
+
+-- bool: does str1 start with str2
+starts = (str1, str2) ->
+  return str2 == sub str1, 1, len str2
+
+-- takes space-separated string and puts it in alphabetical order
+--  (handles weird spacing, returns with single-spacing)
+alphabetize = (str) ->
+  tab = split str
+  sort tab
+  return concat tab, " "
+
+-- takes space-separated string and removes duplicate entries from it
+remove_duplicates = (str) ->
+  strings = split str
+  tab, result = {}, {}
+
+  for str in *strings
+    tab[str] = true
+  for str in pairs tab
+    insert result, str
+
+  return concat result, " "
+
+{
+  :lines
+  :split
+  :comma_split
+  :starts
+  :alphabetize
+  :remove_duplicates
+}
diff --git a/utility/gtable.moon b/utility/gtable.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9b9505
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/gtable.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+-- appends n arrays to the end of the first array
+append = (tab1, ...) ->
+  for n = 1, select "#", ...
+    tab2 = select n, ...
+    for i = 1, #tab2
+      tab1[#tab1+1] = tab2[i]
+  return tab1
+
+-- returns a new table shallow copying data from all arguments
+--  later arguments overwrite any keys in earlier arguments
+--  ignores non-table arguments (skipping them)
+shallow_copy = (...) ->
+  new = {}
+  for n = 1, select "#", ...
+    tab = select n, ...
+    if "table" == type tab
+      for k,v in pairs tab
+        new[k] = v
+  return new
+
+-- returns a new table with flipped keys and values
+invert = (tab) ->
+  new = {}
+  for key, value in pairs tab
+    new[value] = key
+  return new
+
+{
+  :append
+  :shallow_copy
+  shallow_merge: shallow_copy -- TODO deprecate
+  :invert
+}
diff --git a/utility/migrations.moon b/utility/migrations.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21cad91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/migrations.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import create_table, types, create_index from require "lapis.db.schema"
+
+{
+  [1518948992]: =>
+    create_table "settings", {
+      {"name", types.varchar primary_key: true, unique: true}
+      {"value", types.text null: true}
+
+      {"created_at", types.time}
+      {"updated_at", types.time}
+    }
+    create_index "settings", "name", unique: true
+}
diff --git a/utility/models/Settings.moon b/utility/models/Settings.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25ae17b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/models/Settings.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import Model from require "lapis.db.model"
+
+class Settings extends Model
+  @timestamp: true
+  @primary_key: "name"
diff --git a/utility/settings.moon b/utility/settings.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2ff831
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/settings.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import Settings from require "models"
+
+totype = (str) ->
+  if value = tonumber str
+    return value
+  if str == "true"
+    return true
+  if str == "false"
+    return false
+  if str == "nil"
+    return nil
+  return str
+
+cache = {}
+
+get = (name, create=true) ->
+  setting = cache[name]
+  unless setting
+    setting = Settings\find :name
+    if (not setting) and create
+      setting = Settings\create :name
+    cache[name] = setting
+
+  if setting
+    return setting
+  else
+    return nil, "failed to load '#{name}' setting"
+
+local settings
+settings = {
+  get: (name, skip_index) ->
+    unless name
+      return settings.load!
+
+    unless skip_index -- for metamethods to not loop endlessly
+      return settings[name] if settings[name]
+
+    setting, err = get name
+    if setting
+      value = totype setting.value
+      settings[name] = value
+      return value
+    else
+      return nil, err
+
+  set: (name, value) ->
+    unless name
+      return settings.save!
+
+    setting, err = get name
+    if setting
+      settings[name] = value
+      return setting\update value: tostring value
+    else
+      return nil, err
+
+  save: (name) ->
+    if name
+      setting, err = get name
+      if setting
+        return setting\update value: tostring settings[name]
+      else
+        return nil, err
+
+    else
+      for name, value in pairs settings
+        switch name
+          when "get", "set", "save", "load", "delete"
+            nil
+          else
+            t = type value
+            if t == "function" or t == "table"
+              return nil, "cannot save '#{name}' setting, type '#{t}' not supported"
+            else
+              unless cache[name]
+                cache[name] = Settings\find :name
+                unless cache[name]
+                  cache[name] = Settings\create :name
+
+    for name, setting in pairs cache
+      _, err = setting\update value: tostring settings[name]
+      return nil, err if err
+    return true
+
+  load: (name) ->
+    return settings.get name if name
+
+    all_settings = Settings\select "WHERE true"
+    for setting in *all_settings
+      name = setting.name
+      cache[name] = setting
+      settings[name] = totype setting.value
+    return settings
+
+  delete: (name) ->
+    if setting = get name, false
+      if setting\delete!
+        cache[name] = nil
+        settings[name] = nil
+      else
+        return nil, "failed to delete '#{name}' setting"
+    return true
+}
+
+return setmetatable settings, {
+    __call: (t, name) ->
+      return settings.get name, true
+    __index: (t, name) ->
+      return settings.get name, true
+  }
diff --git a/utility/shell.moon b/utility/shell.moon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07a8e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility/shell.moon
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+quote = (str) ->
+  escaped = str\gsub "'", [['"'"']]
+  return "'#{escaped}'"
+
+execute = (cmd, capture_exit_code=true) ->
+  local handle
+  if capture_exit_code
+    handle = io.popen "#{cmd}\necho $?"
+  else
+    handle = io.popen cmd
+  result = handle\read "*a"
+  handle\close!
+
+  exit_start, exit_end = result\find "(%d*)[%c]$"
+  exit_code = tonumber result\sub(exit_start, exit_end)\sub 1, -2
+  output = result\sub 1, exit_start - 1
+
+  return exit_code, output
+
+{
+  :quote
+  :execute
+}