gistfile1.txt

ruby-1.9.2-p290 :214 > User.joins(:tags).select("users.email, tags.tag_name as tag_name")

  User Load (1.3ms)  SELECT users.email, tags.tag_name as tag_name FROM `users` INNER JOIN `notecards` ON `notecards`.`user_id` = `users`.`id` INNER JOIN `associations` ON `associations`.`notecard_id` = `notecards`.`id` INNER JOIN `tags` ON `tags`.`id` = `associations`.`tag_id`

 => [#<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">, #<User email: "incorvia@gmail.com">] 
ruby-1.9.2-p290 :215 >