Fox News is blaming bloggers for the exit poll fiasco. Somehow it's never the MSM that's at fault.

I just finished shooting 4 star fields, RT Peg, V Peg, RU Peg, and RU Cyg for my beginning variable star program. I have no idea if using a video camera to image these stars will give the required accuracy but it will be interesting to find out. My equipment setup was a Takahashi FS-102 with focal reducer, G-11 mount, and a StellaCam II with a frame grabber card in a Compaq laptop. I'll reduce the data tomorrow.

Kerry has formally conceded the race to George Bush. This avoids getting the lawyers involved. At least this shows that Kerry has the nations best interest at heart.

I went to bed at 12:45, got up at 4:45 to check the numbers and found nothing changed. Now Ann Althouse is saying the same thing I've been thinking.

I realized late last night that all my blog entries since Sunday are off by 1 hour. I forgot to reset the time format in Blogger. Anyway, it looks like Bush is going to win even though Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico have not been called. CBS news is still not projecting any of these states so I guess they are being ultra-conservative.

I have to work tomorrow (actually today) so I'm going to trust that NBC and Fox are right about Ohio and Bush will win New Mexico. I'll find out in the morning.

John Kerry has won Minnesota adding 10 votes to his total.

Bush is ahead in Iowa but the lead is razor thin.

This should have never happened. I read somewhere on someone's blog that this turns us into a third world country. I agree and it's a disgrace.

Fox and NBC have projected Ohio for Bush. CBS won't do it probably because they were wrong about Florida last time. Oh, and I guess there's no memos to be fabricated so they can wait.

So, this puts Bush one vote away from winning. Now we only have to wait until the lawsuits begin.

Bush is at 249, Kerry 207. He's staying ahead in Ohio but by only 2%. Iowa is a dead heat at 50/50.

Bush has to win Ohio and New Mexico. It's not looking good in Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Some of these states are reporting 50% of their precincts but the tide seems to be turning in Kerry's favor.

I remember my father sitting up late at night to listen to election returns on the radio when Eisenhower was running for president. Now I'm doing the same thing but have a host of electronic gadgets so far ahead of what he had as to be unbelievable. TV, computers, internet, cell phone, instant messaging, you name it. The world is a much different place now.

I think Kerry is going to take New Hampshire, too.

I'm not feeling as good about the numbers now. Kerry is leading in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. He's also gaining on Bush in Ohio. And CBS says Kerry has won Maine.

Bush has lost Minnesota but it doesn't matter.

ABC News just gave Florida to Bush. That puts him at 246 votes.

Why does Rather have to keep repeating "It's not over" everytime he says George Bush is ahead? Maybe he's trying to convince himself. On the other hand, I'm finding CBS to have the best coverage. They have consistently been ahead of the other networks with projections even though they may be wrong about Washington state.

It's a dead heat in Washington state with Kerry at 244630 and Bush 244439. I think the networks were giving this one to Kerry so this could be interesting.

Update: Bush is now pulling ahead according to ABC News but CBS has given Washington to Kerry. New Hampshire is also a dead heat with Kerry 50%, Bush 49 although CBS is quoting a Bush rep as saying they are ahead in NH.

Bush is at 219 now with Arizona and Colorado projected for the president.

Bush now has 209 with Idaho and Colorado on line. Rather says California and Oregon to Kerry giving Kerry 199. He's sneaking up but if Bush wins Florida and Ohio, he's at 256 only 14 votes away from a win.

Bush is running way ahead in Florida, Ohio, Wisonsin, Michigan, Iowa but the networks won't call it. Wonder why?

Update: I think it's because if Bush wins Florida and Ohio he's a shoo in. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa will just add some icing to the cake.

Pennsylvania has dropped for Kerry. Bush 196 and Kerry 133 now.

Now CBS is anticipating what will happen if the EC vote is split. Why introduce this now? Sounds like they're just jerking our chain.

Rather is interviewing John McCain (who has been re-elected) and asking the same old questions. "Can America unite behind whomever wins the election?" Very trite, Dan.

ABC News has the best web site to check totals--a large map that you only have to mouse over the state to see totals. Very nice. CBS right now is showing Bush with 51% of the popular vote vs 48% Kerry.

If Bush wins all the states he is leading in right now, he will get 301 electoral votes, enough to win easily. He's still leading in Florida and Ohio but losing badly in Pennsylvania.

CBS: Bush 196 votes.

Update: Oops, CBS has retracted that number saying it's only 185.
Update II: Now it's back up to 196. Dan, get your act together.

NBC: 181 EC votes Bush.

Bush 179, Kerry 112 (CBS). Bush has won Arkansas--too bad for Bill Clinton.

Bush is ahead in FL and OH but losing in PA. None of the networks are calling any of these states. Hopefully Bush can hold his lead.

NBC predicts Mississippi for Bush.

Bush is ahead in New Mexico but no one is calling it yet.

Bush has picked up Louisiana's 9 votes giving him 171 votes (CBS). Rather is still blathering about how the race isn't won yet. But things are not looking good for Bush in PA. He might make it in Florida. CBS says Kerry will win Ohio. I hope not.

CBS is reporting 162 for Bush, 112 for Kerry.

Fox News showing Bush 156 EC votes, Kerry 112. Looks like Bush may win Florida.

CBS is now projecting North Carolina to Bush. That's 15 more votes, giving him 157.

Early returns in Texas show Bush 65% of the vote. Adding the 34 Texas votes to what the networks project gives him at least 142 EC votes.

Fox News is screwing up badly on their web site. The network is showing Bush 102 votes, Kerry 77 while the web site shows 89 and 74. Their site also has a clunky map that has to reload each time I come back to it.

NBC says Bush wins South Carolina, too bad for Edwards.

CBS says 108 Bush, Kerry 77 but Rather is still downplaying it. Ohio, Florida, Penn still not in.

Fox News has it head to head 74-74 EC votes. Networks seem to be all over the place and I wonder how they make these predictions.

Update: ABC says 81-77 Bush. Go figure.

Rather is pontificating about how "tight" the race is going to be. He's also begging people to go and vote even though they have a very good idea how the election is going.

108 EC votes for Bush (CBS).

Bush has taken Virginia (CBS).

Now CBS is projecting 95 votes for Bush and 77 for Kerry while ABC is saying kerry has 74 and Bush 66. CBS seems to be ahead of all the other news organizations but I have to remember that they were embarrassed last election.

Maryland for Kerry, Tennessee Bush, Alabama Bush, Okla Bush, Miss Bush, Maine Kerry , NH ?, Del Kerry, DC Kerry, SC Bush, WVA Bush now according to CBS.

New Jersey has fallen to Kerry according to CBS. Bush 80 EC, Kerry 77. Florida is still on the edge and Illinois has gone to Kerry. PA insufficient.

I forgot that Texas is actually in two time zones (part in Mountain time) and was expecting to hear something a little after 7:00 o'clock. But now it'll be another hour and 15 minutes before anything breaks here. Bush has already picked up 30 electoral votes vs Kerry 3 in four states. Some not that important but it's a good sign. I'm waiting for Florida to pop and the networks are waiting for Ohio which seems to be hard to call now.

It rained most of the night but stopped by the time we were ready to go to the polls. I easily found our new voting place and, miracle of miracles, there was no one in the Q-Z line. Ellie and I walked up to the table without voter registration cards, the guy checked our ID, quickly found our names, we signed on the dotted line, and had ballots in hand. A mark for straight Republican party and we were out the door. But as I was leaving I noticed a very strange thing. There were no George Bush signs anywhere. Kerry/Edwards signs were planted in every available (legal) spot but not one from the Republican party. Looks like the RNC wasn't doing it's job. It's hard to believe that signs would make a difference but who knows. It would be interesting to know how the vote swings in that precinct.

I wonder what Osama bin Laden lover and world's foremost cockroach, Michael Moore, will have to say after Bush is re-elected. For now he's content to continue spewing his usual vitriolic hatred.

We woke up to rain this morning and the prediction is for more of the same throughout today and tomorrow. Now I'm wishing I had voted early because the prospect of standing around in the water tomorrow doesn't make me happy. But if the Afghans can stand around to vote with mortar shells falling, I think I can endure the rain. Question is, how many won't vote tomorrow because of bad weather?

We had the usual number of Halloween goblins last night. Our neighborhood seems to keep recycling families so the kid population remains pretty constant. I don't remember carrying a pillow case to collect candy when I was a kid, though.

Texans Are Doomed