Symptom:

Life feels bad.

Problem:

I'm bored at work. Is there some geeky DNS fun that I can try?

Solution

Bert's Secure Reverse Polish DNS Calculator

Try Bert's Secure Reverse Polish DNS Calculator (BSRPDNSC) (http://bert.secret-wg.org/Tools/index.html). This is nice because you don't need your HP48 or Forth to do serious RPN calculations:

~  dig "9.dup.*.rp.secret-wg.org" TXT

; <<>> DiG 9.8.0 <<>> 9.dup.*.rp.secret-wg.org TXT
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 6674
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;9.dup.*.rp.secret-wg.org.    IN    TXT

;; ANSWER SECTION:
9.dup.*.rp.secret-wg.org. 10    IN    TXT    "81"

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
rp.secret-wg.org.    3394    IN    NS    ns.rp.secret-wg.org.

;; Query time: 183 msec
;; SERVER: 217.151.171.7#53(217.151.171.7)
;; WHEN: Thu Mar 31 19:02:05 2011
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 74

The calculator should be used in a secure way though, requesting DNSSEC validation (+DNSSEC)!

Wikipedia over DNS

If BSRPDNSC does not satisfy you, try Wikipedia via DNS (https://dgl.cx/wikipedia-dns):

dig txt forth_\(programming\ language\).wp.dg.cx

; <<>> DiG 9.8.0 <<>> txt forth_(programming language).wp.dg.cx
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 32774
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;forth_\(programming\032language\).wp.dg.cx. IN TXT

;; ANSWER SECTION:
forth_\(programming\032language\).wp.dg.cx. 86400 IN TXT "Forth is a structured, imperative, stack-based, computer programming language and programming environment. Forth is sometimes spelled in all capital letters following the customary usage during its earlier years, although the name is not an acronym. http:" "//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_(programming_language)"

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
wp.dg.cx.        3576    IN    NS    ns.na.l.dg.cx.
wp.dg.cx.        3576    IN    NS    ns.eu.l.dg.cx.

;; Query time: 231 msec
;; SERVER: 217.151.171.7#53(217.151.171.7)
;; WHEN: Thu Mar 31 19:05:42 2011
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 418

Twitter over DNS

send a DNS query with the domain name of <twitter-account>.twitter.any.io for record type "txt", and you'll get the latest twitter message:

dig menandmice.twitter.any.io txt +short
"RT @RIPE_NCC: Rebooting the I'net: RIPE NCC\226\128\153s Axel Pawlik on what #IPv6 adoption means for gamers http://bit.ly/mfuppY (by @petergothard ..." "Tue Jun 14 10:01:56 +0000 2011"