diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 092d5ca..5f4ed6d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 a.out
 db
+*.swp
 
diff --git a/database/common.h b/database/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b08246a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#ifndef _COMMON_H_
+#define _COMMON_H_
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include "nameserver.h"
+
+extern NameServer ns;
+
+#endif
diff --git a/database/db.cpp b/database/db.cpp
index 63664a4..5793c63 100644
--- a/database/db.cpp
+++ b/database/db.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
+#include "common.h"
 #include "db.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "sha1.h"
-#include "nameserver.h"
 #include <cassert>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstdio>
@@ -292,3 +292,6 @@ uint64_t PosDb::doStockChange(UPC upc, int32_t delta) {
 	return log.writeEntry(l);
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> PosDb::toString() {
+  return log.toString();
+}
diff --git a/database/db.h b/database/db.h
index f836276..beb4f65 100644
--- a/database/db.h
+++ b/database/db.h
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef _POS_DB_H_
 #define _POS_DB_H_
+#include "common.h"
 #include "sha1.h"
 #include "log.h"
-#include "nameserver.h"
-#include <stdint.h>
 #include <list>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
@@ -34,6 +33,8 @@ public:
 	int32_t getStock(UPC upc);
 	uint64_t doStockChange(UPC upc, int32_t delta);
 
+  std::vector<std::string> toString();
+
 private:
 	void acceptLogEntry(const LogEntry & l);
 
@@ -46,7 +47,6 @@ private:
 	std::map<uint64_t, LogEntry> serial_to_object;
 
 	Log log;
-	NameServer ns;
 };
 
 typedef std::multimap<uint32_t, SHA1Hash>::iterator ath_it;
diff --git a/database/log.cpp b/database/log.cpp
index 5a96c41..5fd1ac7 100644
--- a/database/log.cpp
+++ b/database/log.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cassert>
+#include <sstream>
 
 Log::Log(const char * fn)
 	: log_name(fn), serial(0)
@@ -62,3 +63,63 @@ uint64_t Log::nextSerial()
 	return serial + 1;
 }
 
+std::string logTypeToString (E_OBJ_TYPE type) {
+  switch(type) {
+    case ET_TRANS:  return "TRANS";
+    case ET_HASH:   return "HASH";
+    case ET_SALE:   return "SALE";
+    case ET_PRICE:  return "PRICE";
+    case ET_REVERT: return "REVERT";
+    default: fprintf(stderr, "logTypeToString: unhandled case in switch.\n"); abort();
+  }
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+std::string ThingToString (T num) {
+  std::stringstream ss;
+  ss << num;
+  return ss.str();
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> Log::toString()
+{
+  assert(sizeof(time_t) == sizeof(uint64_t));
+  std::vector<std::string> ans;
+  ans.reserve(entries.size());
+  std::list<LogEntry>::iterator it;
+  for(it = entries.begin(); it != entries.end(); it++) {
+    char* time = new char[64];
+    struct tm* tms = localtime((time_t*)&it->ts);
+    strftime(time, 64, "%c", tms);
+    std::string out = (std::string)time + "\t"
+                    + ThingToString<uint64_t> (it->serial) + "\t"
+                    + logTypeToString(it->type) + "\t";
+    delete[] time;
+    switch(it->type) {
+      case ET_TRANS:
+        out += ns.get_name(it->Transaction.uid) + "\t"
+             + ThingToString<int32_t>(it->Transaction.delta);
+        break;
+      case ET_HASH:
+        out += "hash goes here\t"
+             + ns.get_name(it->HashChange.uid) + "\t"
+             + ThingToString<bool>(it->HashChange.add);
+        break;
+      case ET_SALE:
+        out += "upc goes here\t"
+             + ThingToString<int32_t>(it->StockChange.delta);
+        break;
+      case ET_PRICE:
+        out += "upc goes here\t"
+             + ThingToString<int32_t>(it->PriceChange.price);
+        break;
+      case ET_REVERT:
+        out += ThingToString<uint64_t>(it->Revert.revert_serial);
+        break;
+      default: fprintf(stderr, "Log: unhandled toString case.\n"); abort();
+    }
+
+    ans.push_back(out);
+  }
+  return ans;
+}
diff --git a/database/log.h b/database/log.h
index 66a907d..96bdbca 100644
--- a/database/log.h
+++ b/database/log.h
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #ifndef _POS_LOG_H_
 #define _POS_LOG_H_
+#include "common.h"
 #include "sha1.h"
 #include <list>
 #include <string>
-#include <stdint.h>
+#include <vector>
 
 enum E_OBJ_TYPE { ET_TRANS, ET_HASH, ET_SALE, ET_PRICE, ET_REVERT };
 
@@ -59,6 +60,9 @@ public:
 	Log(const char * fn);
 	uint64_t writeEntry(LogEntry ent);
 	uint64_t nextSerial();
+
+  std::vector<std::string> toString();
+
 	std::list<LogEntry>::const_iterator begin();
 	std::list<LogEntry>::const_iterator end();
 
diff --git a/database/nameserver.cpp b/database/nameserver.cpp
index ff9e89e..434dbb9 100644
--- a/database/nameserver.cpp
+++ b/database/nameserver.cpp
@@ -4,21 +4,26 @@
 
 std::string NameServer::get_name (uint32_t id) {
   std::map<std::string, uint32_t>::iterator it;
-  for (it = cache.begin(); it != cache.end(); it++) {
-    if (it->second == id) return it->first;
+  for(it = cache.begin(); it != cache.end(); it++) {
+    if(it->second == id) return it->first;
   }
-  return "";
+  struct passwd* pwd = getpwuid(id);
+  if (!pwd) {
+    return "???";
+  }
+  cache[pwd->pw_name] = id;
+  return pwd->pw_name;
 }
 
 uint32_t NameServer::get_id (std::string name) {
   std::map<std::string, uint32_t>::iterator it = cache.find(name);
 
-  if (it != cache.end())
+  if(it != cache.end())
     return it->second;
 
   std::cerr << "Doing LDAP lookup for \"" << name << "\".\n";
   struct passwd* pwd = getpwnam(name.c_str());
-  if (!pwd) {
+  if(!pwd) {
     // TODO: oh fuck???
     return 0;
   }
@@ -27,3 +32,4 @@ uint32_t NameServer::get_id (std::string name) {
   return cache[name];
 }
 
+NameServer ns;
diff --git a/database/tests.cpp b/database/tests.cpp
index 13d4f5e..7dbb7f6 100644
--- a/database/tests.cpp
+++ b/database/tests.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include "common.h"
 #include "db.h"
 #include <iostream>
 
@@ -32,6 +33,11 @@ int main() {
 	foo.l = 123;
 	cout << db.getStock(foo) << "\n";
 
+  cout << "\n\n\n";
+  std::vector<std::string> lst = db.toString();
+  for (std::vector<std::string>::iterator it = lst.begin(); it != lst.end(); it++) {
+    cout << *it << "\n";
+  }
 	return 0;
 }