Bulgaria Update

Bulgarians dance in the icy waters of a river as part of Epiphany celebrations http://t.co/FTAs3tByCz Photo @dilkoff pic.twitter.com/3FIzolPJrN
— AFP Photo Department (@AFPphoto) January 6, 2015

Album Review: McCracken County Beltline Electric Christmas

Man, that would be a great record!

McCracken County Beltline Electric Christmas Tournament boys' basketball: Christian County 73, Madisonville-North Hopkins 57, final.
— Chris Jung™ (@ChrisJungKNE) December 23, 2014

Oh, Kentucky

Christmas parades: Benton, Burnside, Cave City, Edmonton, Elkton, Livermore, McKee, Nicholasville, Princeton, Quality and Sacramento, today; Auburn, Central City and Edmonton, Dec. 14; Lewisburg, Dec. 19, and Rabbit Hash, Dec. 20.

Good jobs news from Warsaw. Unsettling from Henderson, Morganfield and Sturgis.

"On Main Streets Across Kentucky ... It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," per the Kaintuckeean.

"My dad may have had a simple message and not very eloquent of speech, but he spoke Christian without having to say a word. That’s the language we should all learn to speak. And if Christianity is a term you’re not comfortable affiliating yourself with maybe the simplistic message of a true Christian would be more fitting which is, goodwill toward all. I fully understand there will be philosophical and doctrinal differences between just about every church, tabernacle, mosque or other houses of worship, even some of the same denomination. We must learn and understand that it is OK to agree to disagree and still love each other regardless. Yes, my dad was a serpent handler. I am proud of that and hope to carry that tradition on throughout the rest of my life." Rest in peace, Pastor Fields.

Oh, Kentucky

Post by Munfordville First United Methodist Church.

OK, now we're getting serious, baby. Here is today's Christmas-parade lineup:

-- Berea, 

-- Bowling Green, 

-- Cadiz, 

-- Calhoun, 

-- Calvert City,

-- Campbellsville,

-- Carrollton, 

-- Clay, 

-- Clinton, 

-- Columbia, 

-- Dixon,

-- Flatwoods, 

-- Fordsville, 

-- Frankfort, 

-- Franklin,

-- Glasgow, 

-- Greenville,

-- Guthrie, 

-- Harlan, 

-- Henderson, 

-- Hopkinsville, 

-- Horse Cave, 

-- Island, 

-- Lewisport,

-- Madisonville, 

-- Marion, 

-- Morganfield, 

-- Morgantown,

-- Munfordville, 

-- Murray, 

-- Paducah, 

-- Park City, 

-- Pikeville,

-- Providence,

-- Salvisa,

-- Scottsville, 

-- Shelbyville, 

-- Tompkinsville, 

-- Trenton and 

-- Winchester.

Oh, to be Santa's driver today! I would freaking love to be driving him around the state today, delivering him to the tail end of each parade (and charging 56 cents per mile, plus meals and hot chocolate, in expenses). Of course, I wouldn't want to have to be in a hurry. 

One of the great things about being Santa Claus, it seems to me, would be that the systems of time and other constraints of our world do not seem to apply to him. That would be wonderful.

Plenty more parades are on the horizon after today: Boyce, Clay City, Dawson Springs, Evarts, Mortons Gap and Schochoh, Dec. 7; Mount Sterling and Stanton, Dec. 8; London, Morehead, Owingsville, Prestonsburg, Richmond and Whitesburg, Dec. 12; Benton, Burnside, Cave City, Livermore, McKee, Nicholasville, Princeton, Quality and Sacramento, Dec. 13; Auburn, Central City and Edmonton, Dec. 14, and Lewisburg, Dec. 19.

Class 3A State Champs -Russell Co. Mighty Laker Marching Band - 2014 Christmas Parade pic.twitter.com/XiEm5tFZhG
— Michael A. Ford (@fordmich) November 30, 2014

New Haven KY Christmas parade. pic.twitter.com/7yfqQvEuU4
— Michelle Burfield (@deerspooker82) November 30, 2014

See photos from last night's Christmas Parade in downtown Lexington. http://t.co/HboYMKZDsT pic.twitter.com/92CdAv7QO1
— heraldleader (@heraldleader) December 3, 2014

Oh, Kentucky

In Marion, "when's the Christmas parade?" 

Spoiler alert: It's Saturday. Also: Catlettsburg, Russell and Taylorsville; today; Central City, Danville, Monticello and Smiths Grove, Dec. 5; Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calhoun, Calvert City, Clinton, Columbia, Flatwoods, Fordsville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Harlan, Hopkinsville, Horse Cave, Island, Madisonville, Marion, Morganfield, Munfordville, Murray, Paducah, Park City, Scottsville, Shelbyville,Tompkinsville and Winchester, Dec. 6; Dawson Springs, Evarts, Mortons Gap and Schochoh, Dec. 7; Prestonsburg and Whitesburg, Dec. 12; Benton, Cave City, Livermore, McKee, Princeton and Sacramento, Dec. 13, and Edmonton, Dec. 14.

Madisonville's Salvation Army has a new major, and he's fired up.

Good 411 here on the Paducah Warming-Cooling Center.

Good jobs news from Louisville.

It's a class act by McCracken letting us use their indoor facilities to get ready for the state championship. pic.twitter.com/H4hSzxvBCX
— Graves Co. Football (@GCFootballGC) December 2, 2014

Oh, Kentucky

I voted "maybe"!

Need to see something festive on this gloomy day? Check out this pic from last night's Luminate Lexington parade! pic.twitter.com/MyFuUJb18b
— LG&E and KU (@lgeku) December 3, 2014

Christmas parades: Catlettsburg, Russell and Taylorsville; Dec. 4; Central City, Danville, Monticello and Smiths Grove, Dec. 5; Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calhoun, Calvert City, Columbia, Fordsville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Harlan, Hopkinsville, Horse Cave, Island, Madisonville, Morganfield, Munfordville, Murray, Paducah, Park City, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Tompkinsville and Winchester, Dec. 6; Dawson Springs and Evarts, Dec. 7, and Benton, Livermore and Sacramento, Dec. 13.

Good jobs news from Hopkinsville and Lewisport.

The road to I-69.

Newest Mexican restaurant (37th) in the great Mexican restaurant wars of #somky in #Pulaski county. Who will win? pic.twitter.com/znwx07LcaI
— Hacksaw Lee Duggan (@DraftCats) December 2, 2014

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Bowling Green, Hebron and Lexington.

Bad guard-rail news.

Judge to hold conference call in Eggner's Ferry Bridge lawsuit: http://t.co/lBwNiW72uJ #WPSD pic.twitter.com/SuAROxO2rw
— WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) December 1, 2014

“I have always envisioned General Burnside Island being developed into a world-class resort destination.”

"It was an event that proved Hazard is not a little coal town gone bust."

Christmas parades are hot and heavy around the commonwealth. My wife and daughter and I got out to a bit of Owensboro's early-bird affair last Saturday, and it was grand. Ashland's, Bardstown's and Louisville's parades happened in the last few days, and now things are poised to really rock: Lexington, Dec. 2; Catlettsburg, Russell and Taylorsville; Dec. 4; Danville and Monticello, Dec. 5; Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calhoun, Columbia, Fordsville, Harlan, Island, Morganfield, Paducah, Shelbyville and Winchester, Dec. 6; Dawson Springs and Evarts, Dec. 7, and Benton, Livermore and Sacramento, Dec. 13. 

Oh, Kentucky

$27.08 in 1986 dollars, so this seems about right.

Good jobs news from Bowling Green, Hickman, Annville and Hazard. Bad from Owensboro?

Nashville's lauded "Room in the Inn" homeless-shelter model is being adapted in Bowling Green.

The Kentucky Baptist Convention is done with Louisville's Crescent Hill Baptist Church, and Campbellsville University is done with the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

Christmas parades: Owensboro, Nov. 22; Louisville, Nov. 28; Danville and Monticello, Dec. 5; Berea, Cadiz, Calhoun, Columbia, Harlan, Island, Morganfield and Shelbyville, Dec. 6; Evarts, Dec. 7, and Benton, Livermore and Sacramento, Dec. 13. (And the Kentucky desk applauds the intra-county cooperation in McLean.)

@Kentuckyweather The Old Capitol in Frankfort getting ready for the Season. pic.twitter.com/cvQoWnQkCm
— Bill Ayer (@rumpole2) November 12, 2014