might this be useful?
http://countdown.onlineclock.net/generator/
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript" LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!--
dateFuture = new Date(2011,11,16,22,0,0);
function GetCount(){
dateNow = new Date(); //grab current date
amount = dateFuture.getTime() - dateNow.getTime(); //calc milliseconds between dates
delete dateNow;
// time is already past
if(amount < 0){
document.getElementById('countbox').innerHTML="Now!";
}
// date is still good
else{
days=0;hours=0;mins=0;secs=0;out="";
amount = Math.floor(amount/1000);//kill the "milliseconds" so just secs
days=Math.floor(amount/86400);//days
amount=amount%86400;
hours=Math.floor(amount/3600);//hours
amount=amount%3600;
mins=Math.floor(amount/60);//minutes
amount=amount%60;
secs=Math.floor(amount);//seconds
if(days != 0){out += days +" day"+((days!=1)?"s":"")+", ";}
if(days != 0 || hours != 0){out += hours +" hour"+((hours!=1)?"s":"")+", ";}
if(days != 0 || hours != 0 || mins != 0){out += mins +" minute"+((mins!=1)?"s":"")+", ";}
out += secs +" seconds";
document.getElementById('countbox').innerHTML=out;
setTimeout("GetCount()", 1000);
}
}
window.onload=function(){GetCount();}//call when everything has loaded
//-->
</script>
<div id="countbox"></div>
Probably for very sensible reasons!