function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
    //speed for each frame

    var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
    var timer = 0;

    //determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
    if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
		for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
           setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
           timer++;

      }
    } else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
       for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
       {
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
            timer++;

       }
    } 
}

//change the opacity for different browsers
function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
    var object = document.getElementById(id).style;
    object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
	if(opacity == 0){
	     my_show_div(id);
    }

} 

function my_show_div(obj) {
	obj = document.getElementById(obj);
	obj.style.display == 'none' ? obj.style.display = '' : obj.style.display = 'none';
}