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May 21st, 2011 was supposed to be the end of the world. Almost seven months later we’re still here.

So who cried wolf? Radio preacher and Evangelist Harold Camping. He claims to have calculated the date of the rapture through numbers and dates found in the Christian bible.

About 5-thousand billboards were posted all around the U.S. announcing the end of the world. Many of his followers gave away their entire life savings before the alleged doomsday.

But, what did not happen on May 21st was the end of the world.

What did happen on May 21st? The eruption of Grimsvoetn, a volcano in Iceland. It spewed out a 20 kilometer smoke column. Luckily, the area is mostly unpopulated.

The cried wolf problem got worse when Camping revised his predictions. He set the new rapture date for October 21. When that prediction failed Camping apologized and resigned from his radio job.

Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch saw the foundations of his News Corp empire shaken to the core this year. British tabloid News of the World was found to have been hacking the voicemails of celebrities, royals and even kidnapping victims and relatives of dead soldiers. The practice went on for over a decade. Private investigators were hired by the paper to dig up dirt.

Seeing some of your favourite artists recontextualized is always an odd sensation. Take, for example, the curious case of Corey Taylor. Known primarily for being the vocalist for masked anti-heroes Slipknot, he has recently stepped out solo (and sans mask), touring in support of his recently-released book Seven Deadly Sins. He stopped by the recently re-activated Corona Theater on a quiet Thursday night to spend a few hours with some diehard fans.

Trying to reconcile the videos I've seen of a dude wearing a mask, clad in a jumpsuit urging people to 'jumpdafuckup' to the man in front of me – with an easy demure, a broad smile and wearing a flannel shirt – recounting some of the more colourful stories of his career took a bit of work. Taylor is a multi-faceted artist and a capable public speaker, handling the crowd with an ease that was surely gained through more than a decade of tour stops and press junkets that the nu-metal darlings have had to endure.

The stage was starkly adorned, with a simple stool and a copy of Taylor's book. He spent roughly 90 minutes on-stage, reading passages from his book, taking some questions as well as playing some of his more well-known songs (as well as a few covers) on an acoustic guitar. He was at times poignant, playful, funny and seemed to be genuinely grateful for the positive feedback he'd received while out on tour alone. He recounted some of his favourite on-tour stories, re-iterated his dislike for record mega-producer Rick Rubin (who Taylor claimed only popped into sessions for Slipknot's last album for 45 minutes a week at most) as well as dove into some of his personal journey, a journey that has made him who he is.

I never thought I would live the day to see the anthemic Slipknot song 'Spit It Out' (released on their self-titled record in 1999) covered by its singer utilizing a swingy time-signature to make it sound like prime territory for a pub band, but... there it was. And honestly, it wasn't that bad.

Watching a few hundred black t-shirt clad heshers singing along to an acoustic rendition of a U2 song is also an odd sensation. For most, who claim to abhor mainstream acts in casual conversation, this should be a song unknown to them. And yet, here they were, some singing with a noticeable Québecois accent, unified in front of the man with the acoustic guitar.

For someone who went through those awkward pubescent years listening to Taylor's music, it felt kinda funny to see a man who made his money covered up in costumes seem so naked on-stage on Thursday. He comes off as confrontational and nihilistic lyrically, yet behind it all lay a man with a likeable air that wouldn't seem out of place working as a local bartender or the like. It was an interesting 90 minutes that helped shed some light on the man behind some of the songs that had shaped my own teenage years, a man who clearly destroys the notion of the bonehead metaller with skill, insight and a genuinely likeable on-stage personality.

-Brian H hosts Countdown To Armageddon every Monday from 8-10pm

Women will no longer be allowed to wear any face coverings while saying their oath of citizenship.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney made the announcement on Monday. The decision, which came after the complaints of citizenship court judges, is to be put into effect immediately.

With this ban, Muslim women must remove anything that covers their face such as niqabs or burkas, before reciting the oath of citizenship, the final step fpr immigrants in becoming a Canadian.

Kenney stated that saying the oath is a public declaration of joining the Canadian family, which muct be done freely and openly. Kenney also said the fact that women wore face veils while swearing their oaths was bizarre.

Calling the wearing of face veils a cultural tradition, Kenney said that they present a certain view of women that is not accepted in Canada.

Women who refuse to remove their face veils can remain permanent residents. While permanent residents can live in Canada, they are not allowed to vote or run for office.