four:eleven is the title and theme of my micro-journal.  Each day I set my alarm to beep at 4:11 pm.  I then write down whatever I am experiencing at that moment. Daily entries to four:eleven started on June 13th, 1999, and continued almost unbroken until the June 23rd, 2003. 

The quotes, thoughts, happenings, etc., only last a few seconds at the most, and are always within a second of 4:11 pm, EST.  It's a verbal web-cam.

I use a few conventions when writing in my micro-journal:

• double quotes ["..."] represent spoken phrases.  I credit the speaker unless asked otherwise.
• single quotes ['...'] are for written phrases.
• parenthesis [(...)] sometimes show a phrase as a verbal thought.
• a phrase by itself shows a scene, or a happening [e.g. -- there is a knock at the door].
• a phrase highlighted in red is what I have picked as one of my favorites.

four:eleven faq
Why are you doing this? 
I've found that I'm too lazy to keep a real daily journal, and this turns it into more of a playful thing, instead of a chore.  In addition, I find that each day's phrase becomes a mnemonic for the whole day.  I am hoping that over the years these random verbal snapshots will show trends in the way I am living and thinking (with large noisy spikes of course.)

Why did you pick 4:11 pm?
Well, first of all, it's usually a time that I am awake. Secondly, there is the obvious play on words, where 411 is the directory assistance phone number and slang for "information".

No, really, why'd you pick 4:11 as a time?
No, really, I don't have any more good reasons left.  I just picked a time.  Well, the eleven is kind of significant in that it reminds me of vertical time (11:11 or 1:11) and I just like the look and sound of "eleven".  Come to think of it, "vertical time" might've been a nicer title, but then I should have picked 11:11.  Oh well, too late now. 

Do you ever anticipate 4:11, and does that affect entries?
So far I have managed to keep the ghost of Heisenburg from appearing too much -- I usually forget about 4:11 till the alarm goes off, and then I am spending a few moments searching for a pen and scrap of paper so I won't forget the magic phrase of the day. It's kind of fun. There have been times when I happen to look at my watch and it's a couple minutes until 4:11 -- I usually either try to continue with whatever I was doing, or sit quietly and listen to whomever is speaking.

Do other people around you know about your strange ritual?
Yes, many coworkers, familia, and friends know about it. They often get a kick out of "getting onto" four:eleven. Sometimes they ask to be quoted anonymously.

Can I call you at 4:11, or try otherwise to get a quote in?
Sure, if you'd like.  A lot of folks have threatened this, and several have accomplished it. So far the word that is most often used in these 4:11 attacks is "poopy", for some reason.

How much time does this micro-journal take out of your day?
Not counting things like writing this faq, it takes a minute or so to post my day's entry to the four:eleven list server (for the subscribers to see) and then later a few minutes to add a week's worth to my webpage.

What if you're sitting on the toilet when your alarm goes off?
I would probably write something like I'm sitting on a toilet.

What if you're sitting at your computer while some music is playing in the background and your dog is barking?  What takes precedence -- actions, thoughts, quotes, etc.?
Whichever is most prevalent in my mind.  It's actually kind of difficult, sometimes, rewinding my memory a few seconds to figure out what the outstanding thought or input was when my alarm went off.  When someone is speaking directly to me and I'm daydreaming, which shall I write down? Depends on how loud the daydream is, really.

Do you ever actually do any work at your job?
Yes, but most of it gets done in the morning and very early afternoon, right before 4:11.  Honest.