Ever seen the rather good western High Noon? Our hero, one Gary Cooper, is faced with the imminent arrival of a bunch of baddies on the next train, and tries desperately to rally the townsfolk to help him. Them's all yeller-bellies, and so he's left pretty much on his Colin Todd to face those rogues. What a guy.

That inbound loco happens to be due in at twelve o'clock (so that's why it's called...), and a gimmick of the film is that the remaining minutes are counted down in real time. Much as we'll do now, if you'll excuse my indulgence. Had intended aiming for twelve midnight. Started too late, as ever.

00:08am That gratuitously grainy image below was taken some 43 minutes ago. In an ideal world I'd (a) have a decent idea on which to hold forth, (b) pen some notes at, say, lunchtime, and (c) simply flesh out the details later that evening, thereby speeding up this whole darn process. One day.

00:12am You have to admire those authors who can set the tone for each chapter with an erudite and apposite quote. Being a comprehensively educated person, I ain't got the background reading, mista, though I do have a head full of pop lyrics, including:

When I've nothing to say
My lips are sealed
Say something once
Why say it again?
— Talking Heads, Psycho Killer

00:18am Had the pleasure of listening to some tracks from Stop Making Sense the other day for the first time in a while. From a 12-inch vinyl LP, no less. Those odd scratchy noises added to the overall effect. Yesterday it was side 2 (not a common phrase nowadays) of the Cabaret original soundtrack, including the rousing Tomorrow Belongs To Me. At volume.

00:25am On my wishlist from the Waterstone's Christmas gift guide, now being perused:

• Douglas Coupland, All Families Are Psychotic: has his own unique way with words
• Matthew Parris, Chance Witness: always interesting to hear what he says
• The Framley Examiner: from the web site of the same name
• Utterly Me, Clarice Bean: not really for kids, you know

00:35am Nearer 1am than midnight, tut-tut. And on a school night too! Last episode of The Office tonight. Will it return? Sad in more than one way. And that Trevor Eve in Waking The Dead: about as good a man-manager as David Brent, IMHO. How'd he get to be in charge? Man's a loose cannon.

00:42am If you haven't yet read what Susan from Cromer said on the guestbook, you should: follow the link below and you won't be disappointed. That woman tells it like it is.

00:44am Finished reading a book named Atom by a guy called Steve Alyett last night. Well-nigh undescribable. Hadn't got a clue what was going on most of the time. Featured a talking fish named Jed and other characters named Eddie Thermidor & Harry Fiasco, as well as the eponymous Taffy Atom. Unbeatable names in an indecipherable plot.

Be seeing you!

Ed