Belling the cat

Belling the Cat is a fable also known under the titles The Bell and the Cat and The Mice in Council. Although often attributed to Aesop, it was not recorded before the Middle Ages and has been confused with the quite different fable of Classical origin titled The Cat and the Mice. In the classificatory system established for the fables by B. E. Perry, it is numbered 613, which is reserved for Mediaeval attributions outside the Aesopic canon.

Synopsis and idiomatic use

The fable concerns a group of mice who debate plans to nullify the threat of a marauding cat. One of them proposes placing a bell around its neck, so that they are warned of its approach. The plan is applauded by the others, until one mouse asks who will volunteer to place the bell on the cat. All of them make excuses. The story is used to teach the wisdom of evaluating a plan not only on how desirable the outcome would be, but also on how it can be executed. It provides a moral lesson about the fundamental difference between ideas and their feasibility, and how this affects the value of a given plan.

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 – October 1513), was a late medieval Scottish magnate. He became known as "Bell the Cat". He became the most powerful nobleman in the realm through a successful rebellion and established his family as the most important in the kingdom.

Life

Angus, born about 1449 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, succeeded his father, George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, in 1462 or 1463 at the age of just fourteen.

In 1481, Angus became Warden of the East March, but the next year he joined the league against James III and his favourite, Robert Cochrane, at Lauder. Here he is said to have earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat"—specifically, to deal with Cochrane—beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold chain off his neck, and then ordering the hanging of Cochrane and others of the king's favourites from Lauder old bridge (the site of which is in the grounds of Thirlestane Castle). The earliest written source for the story is in David Hume of Godscroft, the Douglas family biographer. The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from the fable "The Mice in Council", erroneously ascribed to Aesop, and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.

LM.C (Japanese band)

LM.C is a Japanese visual kei rock duo playing a mix of electronic rock and pop, which they call "new century electrorock".

History

LM.C was founded by Maya, a guitarist for musician Miyavi his support band Ishihara Gundan (Ishihara being Miyavi's real last name, Gundan means 'brigade' or 'army' in Japanese) and a guitarist in his own band The Sinners. While still with Miyavi, Maya and other support members also played live shows as LM.C. Later they were joined by Aiji of Pierrot.

After Maya quit Miyavi's band and Aiji's band Pierrot disbanded, LM.C made their major label debut in October 2006, releasing two singles, "Trailers (Gold)" and "Trailers (Silver)". As 2007 began, the group came out with a third single, "Oh My Juliet", which was the 2nd ending theme for the Red Garden anime. On March 7, they released their first EP, Glitter Loud Box.

They released their fourth single, "Boys and Girls", in June 2007, featured as the second opening theme for the Katekyō Hitman Reborn! anime. Their fifth single, "Liar Liar/Sentimental Piggy Romance", saw an October 2007 release, while their sixth single, "Bell the Cat", was released in December of the same year.