Link.random(2)

and then get back random Link objects. I messed around with a couple of things, and ended up doing the following in my Link model

class Link < ActiveRecord::Base

    def self.random(number)
      links = Array.new
      seen = Hash.new(0)
      randid = 1
      count = 0
      number.downto(1) { |n|
      loop do
        randid = rand(Link.count)+1
        begin
          self.find(randid)
        rescue
          seen[randid] += 1
        end
        break unless seen.has_key?(randid)
     end
     seen[randid] += 1
     puts seen.to_s
     links << Link.find(randid)
    }
    return links
  end
end

The only problem I have with the above is that it is painfully unefficient if a) the Link table is quite large, and b) if I have deleted some of the links facilitating a non-continious stretch of IDs. I will modify it sometime soon; creating an array of the existing IDs from the Link table and randomizing the index of that array should work equally well.