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John Cleese, Eric Idle, and the rest of the Monty Python gang have decided to fight back against the unauthorized uploading of their material to YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/montypython -via Metafilter

Over the years, you've seen James Bond use amazing gadgets you wish you could have yourself. Walyou has a rundown of 15 such spy gadgets that exist in the real world! As someone said in the comments, even if you have absolutely no reason to spy on anyone, you'll want to own these. My personal favorite is the Com-Bat, a small robotic plane that resembles ...well, you see it here. Link -Thanks, Eran Abramson!

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Bicycle + Guitar Hero = Bike Hero. This took some work! Kevin says he went through many takes before getting it right. The music is Prisoner of Society by The Living End. -Thanks, David Ross!

Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google.

I don't know about 1750, since photography began around 1826, but the LIFE archives are an amazing resource. Link -via YesButNoButYes

(image credit: Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1936)

Flickr user roguebantha_1138 built a huge Lego diorama that tells a story, set in the Star Wars universe!

Welcome to Mustaneer! (it’s not as distant as Mustafar) Basically it’s a Rebel attack on an Imperial base and mining installation. About a year in the making, on and off, it is 75 by 125cm and all built in 1:200 scale. I’ve taken LOADS of pictures (OK, I’ve taken too many) but I’ve tried to write something interesting with each, so if you have a bit of spare time join me on a journey to a galaxy far far away....

See lots more pictures in the Flickr set. Link -Thanks, xadrian!

Cats have rules for their lives, they just don't want to tell you about them. James S. Huggins has compiled a list of these guidelines. For example:

The humans would have you believe that those lumps under the covers are their feet and hands. They are lying. They are actually Bed Mice, rumored to be the most delicious of all the mice in the world, though no cat has ever been able to catch one. Rumor also has it that only the most ferocious attack can stun them long enough for you to dive under the covers to get them. Maybe YOU can be the first to taste the Bed Mouse!

http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/hum1/guidelines_for_cats.htm -via the Presurfer

Propaganda posters may or may not have served their purpose for the Soviet Union, but they sure have inspired artists in other parts of the world! The form has been co-opted and remixed with pop culture icons for laughs. See a collection of such derivations at Popped Culture. Link -Thanks, Jeremy Barker!

(image credit: BeJay)

You are QWOP, our small nation's sole representative at the Olympic Games. Use the QWOP keys to move your legs. Ideally, you will run 100 metres ...but our training program was underfunded. Remember, it's not whether you win or lose.

Really, don't go into this game expecting to win. I'm serious. Link -via Everlasting Blort

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That's one lucky penguin! -via Bits and Pieces

Recently Made by Makers had a workshop in which three designers had to come up with twenty original speaker designs in just three days. Each design should be modelled and rendered and also be easily communicated in one image. These goals and the tight timeframe forced non-critical idea generation methods and high-speed 3d-visualisation to be used.

See six of those ideas at TFTS. I particularly liked the Jam Jar Speakers shown, designed for use with your computer. http://nexus404.com/Blog/2008/11/17/made-by-makers-concept-speaker-designs-tfts-exclusive-cutting-edge-design-from-the-designers-perspective/ -Thanks, Andrew!

If you're a fan of the original version of the game Monopoly, then you might do quite well with today's Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. How many properties featured in the game can you name in five minutes? You'll do better than I did... I named three and then gave up! http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20278

Here's an idea you might file away for next Halloween! This guy left an unlit but partially-cut pumpkin outside and enticed the neighborhood squirrels to come and carve a Jack-O-Lantern face for him. You'll have to admit they did a pretty good job! Link (with video of a squirrel at work) -Thanks, dbd!

Eri Yoshida is a 16-year-old schoolgirl, but she's been drafted to play professional baseball in a Japanese mens league! The 5-foot-tall pitcher will be the first female to play alongside men in Japan next spring when a new league is launched.

"I never dreamed of getting drafted," Yoshida told reporters Monday, a day after she was selected to play for the Kobe 9 Cruise.

"I have only just been picked by the team and have not achieved anything," she said. "I want to play as a pro eventually in a higher league."

Link -Thanks, Geekazoid!

(image credit: AFP)

Pedestrian crosswalks should be well marked, but they don't have to be boring! See what artists in different cities have done to bring a smile to those who walk the streets. Or drive them. The example shown is from Canadian street artist Peter Gibson. Link -via Dark Roasted Blend

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A short film by Patrick Smith. The protagonist makes a hand puppet, who apparently doesn't like his creator. -via I Am Bored