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 + ")";
//	alert(id);
}

function scrollNews() {
	var strTitle,strUrl;
	try {
		strTitle = eval('Title'+headlineCount);
		strUrl = eval('URL'+headlineCount); 
	} catch(e) { 
		headlineCount=1; 
		strTitle = eval('Title'+headlineCount);
		strUrl = eval('URL'+headlineCount); 
	}
	headlineCount++;
	if(strTitle.length > maxchars) { strTitle = strTitle.substr(0,maxchars)+'...'; }
	
	changeOpac(0,strID);
	opacity(strID,0,100,1000);

	document.getElementById('newsHeadLineText1').innerHTML = strTitle;
	if(strUrl != ''){
		document.getElementById('newsHeadlineLink1').innerHTML = "[<a href=\""+strUrl+"\" id=\"hlineLink\" >learn more</a>]";
	} else {
		document.getElementById('newsHeadlineLink1').innerHTML = '';
	}
}

var headlineCount=2,maxchars=80,strID='nH1';
var timerID = setInterval('scrollNews()',8000);