Well folks, this is it. According to radio personality and end-of-times evangelist Harold Camping, this will be the last column I’ll ever have the pleasure to write for Chenango County’s hometown daily. Michael Stipe – of R.E.M. fame – would say it’s the end of the world as we know it, while Mr. Mojo Risin’ himself, Jim Morrison, would’ve simply called it the end. And I’m guessing singer-songwriter Don Henley is sitting on a porch somewhere with a world of trouble on his mind, strumming on an old, battered acoustic guitar and singing about the end of the innocence.

Yes, according to Camping, Judgment Day is upon us – May 21, 2011 – and I guess you could say that I feel fine.

For those of you unaware of the apocalyptic nature of Christianity’s ultimate disappearing act, the Rapture signals the return of Jesus Christ, the arrival of his arch-nemesis (known, appropriately, as the Antichrist) and the eventual return of the kingdom of heaven to Earth (after seven years of fire and brimstone, of course).

Personally, I’m not all that worried about it.

You see, our friend Mr. Camping has made this kind of allegation before, namely in September of 1994, and – let’s be honest – it’s not the first time some far-fetched doomsday prophecy has been thrown our way.