diff --git a/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/gui/helpers/GUIHelpers.java b/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/gui/helpers/GUIHelpers.java
index 811a9672..92d42f8f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/gui/helpers/GUIHelpers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/gui/helpers/GUIHelpers.java
@@ -109,6 +109,19 @@ public static void drawTankBlock(int x, int y, int width, int height, Fluid flui
         }
     }
 
+    /** Draw a left-aligned shadowed string */
+    public static void drawString(String text, int x, int y, int color) {
+        drawString(text, x, y, color, new Matrix4());
+    }
+    public static void drawString(String text, int x, int y, int color, Matrix4 matrix) {
+        RenderState state = new RenderState().color(1, 1, 1, 1).alpha_test(true);
+        state.model_view().multiply(matrix);
+        try (With ctx = RenderContext.apply(state)) {
+            GlStateManager.color(1, 1, 1, 0);
+            Minecraft.getMinecraft().fontRenderer.drawString(text, x, y, color);
+        }
+    }
+
     /** Draw a shadowed string offset from the center of coords */
     public static void drawCenteredString(String text, int x, int y, int color) {
         drawCenteredString(text, x, y, color, new Matrix4());
@@ -122,6 +135,11 @@ public static void drawCenteredString(String text, int x, int y, int color, Matr
         }
     }
 
+    /** Gat a string's internal width for further use */
+    public static int getTextWidth(String text) {
+        return Minecraft.getMinecraft().fontRenderer.getStringWidth(text);
+    }
+
     /** Screen Width in pixels (std coords) */
     public static int getScreenWidth() {
         return new ScaledResolution(Minecraft.getMinecraft()).getScaledWidth();
diff --git a/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/world/World.java b/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/world/World.java
index f6bcb1d0..15ba4057 100644
--- a/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/world/World.java
+++ b/src/main/java/cam72cam/mod/world/World.java
@@ -440,12 +440,19 @@ public float getTemperature(Vec3i pos) {
 
     /** Drop a stack on the ground at pos */
     public void dropItem(ItemStack stack, Vec3i pos) {
-        dropItem(stack, new Vec3d(pos));
+        dropItem(stack, new Vec3d(pos), Vec3d.ZERO);
     }
 
     /** Drop a stack on the ground at pos */
     public void dropItem(ItemStack stack, Vec3d pos) {
-        internal.spawnEntity(new EntityItem(internal, pos.x, pos.y, pos.z, stack.internal));
+        dropItem(stack, pos, Vec3d.ZERO);
+    }
+
+    /** Drop a stack on the ground at pos with velocity */
+    public void dropItem(ItemStack stack, Vec3d pos, Vec3d velocity) {
+        EntityItem entity = new EntityItem(internal, pos.x, pos.y, pos.z, stack.internal);
+        entity.setVelocity(velocity.x, velocity.y, velocity.z);
+        internal.spawnEntity(entity);
     }
 
     /** Check if the block is currently in a loaded chunk */