Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1271

KEANU AND DREW: A song from the 1986 classic Babes in Toyland.

TERRIBLE: Presenting part one of what is universally regarded as the worst movie ever made, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians.

'THAT'S A CHRISTMAS PRESENT': Better Off Dead translates strange American customs.

TWO SIMPLE WORDS: May your holiday be less stressful than John McClane's.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Gaseous Fed, Emory, Thom Bierdz, Rudolph

A group of Emory Students have apologized after their public access program suggested that people lynch students they think are on campus because of affirmative action.

Four firefighters were shot, two fatally, while responding to a blaze in Webster, New York. "An ex-con set a car and a house ablaze in his lakeside neighborhood to lure firefighters, then opened fire on them, killing two, engaging in a shootout with police and committing suicide while several houses burned. Authorities used an armored vehicle to evacuate the area."

CNN viewers voted President Obama 2012's most intriguing person.

The Episcopal-backed The University of the South will host same-sex marriages in its chapel: "The college itself isn't part of any one diocese. Its religious governing authority is the chancellor, a post that rotates among the bishops of the 28 owning dioceses. In the midst of this announcement, McCardell is calling on alumnus to give $250 to $300 million dollars in a campaign to ensure the university's future, a future that might be jeopardized by this action that many consider outside the bounds of Biblical faith even though culturally acceptable."

Florida's first openly gay lawmakers see equality as a priority. "I’ve done work on civil rights for a long time. But in the campaign, my focus was mostly on jobs, education and fairness and opportunity," said Rep. Joe Saunders, a former Florida Equality activist.

How Gwyneth travels.

Oh, Mariah...

Check out the new trailer for Mark Wahlberg's forthcoming flick Broken City.

Kellan Lutz is obviously someplace very warm.

Gay actor Thom Bierdz looks good naked and isn't afraid to show off. Check it out via this not-so work friendly link Oh, and he's single and looking for a boyfriend.

Hugh Jackman goes for a modestly-sized Christmas tree.

Rudolph's red nose explained.

NOM henchman Frank Schubert on failed GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich accepting the "reality" of marriage equality: "Sometimes good men say stupid things, and this is one of those times. Gingrich’s conclusion that gay 'marriage' is inevitable is ridiculous. His comments suggest the results of marriage races in Maine, Maryland and Washington, which allowed three deep-blue states to endorse redefining marriage means that it is inevitable."

Gay Avengers Hulkling And Wiccan share a kiss in Gay Times.

Federal employee chided for "disrupt[ing] the work floor by passing gas and releasing an unpleasant odor." Makes for a great bloated government joke.

Minnesota political analyst Larry Jacobs doesn't see marriage equality passing there next month, as some Democrats had hoped.

Dylan Smith, a 23-year old New Yorker who helped save neighbors' lives during Superstorm Sandy, died in a surfing accident in Puerto Rico over the weekend.

Have Yourself A Very Barbary Christmas: VIDEO

One of the main themes in author Armistead Maupin's works, particularly his iconic Tales of The City series, is the idea of the logical family: if our biological relations reject us, we can make our own kin.

Still, with this family in place, there's then the added pressure to find a partner, a stress Michael "Mouse" Tolliver struggled under for a large portion of the Tales narrative. Even amidst all the mystery and intrigue at 28 Barbary Lane, relationship woes still creep in.

AFTER THE JUMP, Mouse and Mary-Ann, played by Marcus D'Amico and Laura Linney in the original mini-series adaptation, discuss the pressures Christmas can put on the single among us. (Relevant scene begins at the two-minute mark.)

SpaceX Rocket Leaps 12-Stories, Lands Vertically: VIDEO

The SpaceX Project's plan to release private, reusable space rockets took a giant leap forward with the testing of their appropriately named Grasshopper rocket last week.

The Telegraph explains:

The private space engineering company tested the vertical take-off and landing vehicle prototype at their rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas last week.

Grasshopper, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket and Merlin 1D engine, rose to a height of 130ft (40m) and hovered in the air before landing safely on the launch pad below, using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control.

The latest effort was one giant leap for the Grasshopper compared to its previous two test flights which have seen the rocket hover at six feet and 17 feet off the ground respectively before landing.

I've included video of Grasshopper's impressive take off and landing AFTER THE JUMP.

Holiday Shopping with Coco Peru: VIDEO

If you get a disgusting fruit-laced Panettone for Christmas, you'll thank yourself for waving hello.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously...
Coco Peru Tracks Down Suspiciously Similar Wig at Target: VIDEO [tlrd]

Chile's Copahue Volcano Ready To Blow Its Top: VIDEO

The Copahue Volcano in Southeast Chile is blowing off some steam this holiday season, and Chilean authorities are concerned enough about the temperamental volcano's disposition that they've issued a red alert, though aren't going so far as to order evacuations for the area.

In a statement, Chile's Geological and Mining Service stressed that no mandatory evacuations have been ordered around the remote volcano, which lies about 280 kilometers southeast (175 miles) of Concepcion, though the closest roads to it are in Argentina.

Even though the seismic activity suggests a minor eruption, the agency decided to raise the alert level because it could not rule out a major eruption. The service warned specifically about potentially dangerous mudslides within a 15-kilometer (9.3-mile) radius of the crater.

Alto Biobio, a community about 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Copahue, is under the heightened alert. The governor and emergency officials in Biobio province met Sunday afternoon to discuss possible scenarios, including establishing a plan in case a mass evacuation is deemed necessary.

Minor eruptions were first detected around the mountain, which last erupted in 2000, on Saturday, and the plume of gas has spread steadily over the past few days, potentially providing the region's residents with a Christmas white with ash instead of snow.

Check out some video of the volcano doing its thing AFTER THE JUMP.