# Get a random line from the Zen of Python without a print (preferably for a colorful cow to chant!) # Replace stdout by an anonymous class that returns nothing on write() import sys stdout = sys.stdout sys.stdout = type('BlackHole', (), {'write': (lambda self, string: '')})() # This import's output has now been supressed import this # Restate stdout sys.stdout = stdout # Get a list of this' zen-lines and print a random one. import random print random.choice(''.join([this.d.get(i, i) for i in this.s]).splitlines()[2:]) # Condensed into a line: import sys, random; stdout = sys.stdout; sys.stdout = type('BlackHole', (), {'write': (lambda self, string: '')})(); import this; sys.stdout = stdout; print random.choice(''.join([this.d.get(i, i) for i in this.s]).splitlines()[2:]); # For the colorful cow run in a shell and pipe to cowsay and lolcat :P # python -c "import sys, random; stdout = sys.stdout; sys.stdout = type('BlackHole', (), {'write': (lambda self, string: '')})(); import this; sys.stdout = stdout; print random.choice(''.join([this.d.get(i, i) for i in this.s]).splitlines()[2:]);" | cowsay | lolcat # cowsay: Likely to be in your distro's repository (e.g. sudo apt-get cowsay) # lolcat: It's a Ruby gem. Make sure you have Ruby installed and run gem install lolcat # Add to .bashrc for ultimate zen-ness