diff --git a/lib/util.rb b/lib/util.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d0024b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/ruby
+
+require 'base64'
+require 'net/http'
+require 'uri'
+
+class Utility
+
+  # TODO add a logger here
+
+  def self.get_url(url)
+    uri      = URI.parse(url)
+    http     = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
+    http.use_ssl = false
+    request  = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri.request_uri)
+    response = http.request(request)
+
+    if response.code.eql?('301')
+      return self.get_url(response.header['location'])
+    end
+
+    response
+  end
+
+  def self.base64_decode(string)
+    Base64.strict_decode64(string)
+  end
+
+  def self.base64_encode(string)
+    Base64.strict_decode64(string)
+  end
+
+  def self.uri_encode(string)
+    URI.encode(string)
+  end
+
+  def self.uri_decode(string)
+    URI.decode(string)
+  end
+
+  def self.uri_form_decode(string)
+    h = Hash.new
+
+    URI.decode_www_form(string).each do |array|
+      h[array.first.to_sym] = array.last
+    end
+
+    h
+  end
+
+
+end
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