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 + ")";  
}