CURB!
irb(main):010:0> req = Net::HTTP.new("google.com", 80)
=> #<Net::HTTP google.com:80 open=false>
irb(main):011:0> curl = Curl::Easy.perform("http://www.google.com")
=> #<Curl::Easy:0x876ba58>
irb(main):012:0> Benchmark.bm do |x|
irb(main):013:1* x.report("net/http"){20.times{req.start{|http| http.get("/")}}}
irb(main):014:1> x.report("curb"){20.times{curl.perform}}
irb(main):015:1> end
      user     system      total        real
net/http  0.010000   0.000000   0.010000 ( 28.866806)
curb  0.000000   0.010000   0.010000 (  1.625923)
=> true


-----

the test:
req = Net::HTTP.new("google.com", 80)
Benchmark.bm do |x|
x.report {100.times{req.start{|http| http.get("/")}}}
end

both benchmarks are GETting google.com 100 times

ded2 (portal)
>> Benchmark.bmbm do |x|
?> x.report {100.times{req.start{|http| http.get("/")}}}
>> end
Rehearsal ------------------------------------
   0.130000   0.010000   0.140000 ( 10.912258)
--------------------------- total: 0.140000sec

       user     system      total        real
   0.050000   0.010000   0.060000 ( 10.517465)


staging2
>> Benchmark.bmbm do |x|
?> x.report {100.times{req.start{|http| http.get("/")}}}
>> end
Rehearsal ------------------------------------
   0.050000   0.020000   0.070000 ( 91.207375)
--------------------------- total: 0.070000sec

       user     system      total        real
   0.060000   0.020000   0.080000 ( 94.495068)