Radioactive Rumor Mill - UPDATED

UPDATE: It started raining Wednesday night and rained all day Thursday, and it's raining as I type... Schools closed around the country today, out of fear that the students might get irradiated walking to school. (My school stayed open, and none of my students were absent...) It's still nothing but irrational panic. Here are some more articles on the topic.

Japan's neighbors alarmed over risk of radiation threat
Radiation fear closes schools in South Korea
Schools Close in South Korea Amid Fears of Radioactive Rain
Radioactive rain fear overblown

ORIGINAL POST: Quite a few of my students were all flustered today, worried about the radioactive rain that's supposed to fall tomorrow. The cashier at my local convenience store warned me of something that sounded a lot like 내일 비가 방사능 (tomorrow rain radioactive). I smiled and nodded and told her that I knew, wishing I could tell her that it would be a good preparation for my upcoming vacation to Chernobyl, but my Korean skills aren't so skill-like.

Now, it *is* supposed to rain both tomorrow and Friday, but I don't for a minute believe in this nonsense about radioactive rain from Fukushima, although plenty of Koreans are taking it seriously. Here are some articles...

Citizens concerned over 'radioactive rain' Thursday
Radioactive materials unlikely to reach Korea this week
No possibility of radioactive rain: officials

A brief note on Japan

For those who have asked: neither the earthquake, nor the subsequent tidal wave, nor the radiation leaking from Fukushima have affected Korea. I was at work when the earthquake struck off Japan's coast at 2:45pm local time on Friday, and - like the rest of Korea - felt nothing. I didn't learn about the quake and tsunami until about 6 hours after the fact. At this point, the situation at the nuclear facilities in Fukushima is something that the entire region is following closely. However, given the prevailing wind patterns, even were Fukushima to become the next Chernobyl, chances of Korea playin Belarus to Japan's Ukraine are fairly low. I will, of course, update if anything changes.

Putin: The Japanime Rabbit Zek? (UPDATED!!)

While I was lounging about my apartment being ridiculously lazy for my lunar new year vacation, my cousin George took the ferry to Japan and had a merry old time. He also discovered (and photographed) this:

Now, can anyone explain this madness to me???
(P.S. zek (зек) means prisoner, in case you were wondering.)

UPDATE: Hahahaha - I found it!! Not that it really explains anything, although it does reinforce my belief that Japan is weird. Wikipedia explains here. Or you can watch the madness below. Enjoy!