UPDATE: the output should be:

foo : act1
bar : act1, act2, act4
this : act2
that : act3
hey : act4
[download]

Also, the title of this node is BAD. sorry. it came from the fact that I am using fetch_hashref to get the data from the DB, but I rewrote the question so many times I forgot to re-mention that...I also trashed explaingin everything for the pretty ascii art style table diagrams. you like them? they're open-source. use 'em all you want. (jptxs has a deadline he WILL miss tommorow - feeling loopy)

-- I'm a solipsist, and so is everyone else. (think about it)