var ie5 = (document.getElementById&&document.all); 
var fade_index=0;
//var count=0;
var ran_unrounded=0;
var count=0; 
var fade=1;
var delay=0;
var i=0;

function timer(countmax,element,fadespeed,mindelay,maxdelay,rand,noloop)
{
	elementsplit=element.split(",");
	
	if(rand>0)
	{
		ran_unrounded=Math.random()*countmax;
		count=Math.round(ran_unrounded);
	}
	
	if(ie5 || noloop)
	{	
		for (i=0;i<elementsplit.length;i++) 
		{
			document.getElementById(elementsplit[i]+count).style.display = 'block';
			document.getElementById(elementsplit[i]+count).filters.alpha.opacity = fade_index;
		}
			
			delay=mindelay;
			
			if(fade==1)
			{
				fade_index += fadespeed;
			}
			else
			{
				fade_index -= fadespeed;
			} 
		
			if (fade_index > 100)
			{
				fade=0
				delay=maxdelay;
			}
			else if (fade_index < 0)
			{
				for (i=0;i<elementsplit.length;i++) 
				{
					document.getElementById(elementsplit[i]+count).style.display = 'none';
				}
				fade=1;
				if (count<countmax)
				{
					count++;
				}
				else
				{
					count=0;
				}
			}
			
		setTimeout("timer("+countmax+",'"+element+"',"+fadespeed+","+mindelay+","+maxdelay+")", delay);
	} else {
		for (i=0;i<elementsplit.length;i++) 
		{
			document.getElementById(elementsplit[i]+count).style.display = 'block';
		}
	}
}