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++; 
        } 
    } 
} 

function hover_button(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) { 

	if(navigator.appName != "Microsoft Internet Explorer")
	{
	opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec);
	}
}

function hover_scroll(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) { 

	if(navigator.appName != "Microsoft Internet Explorer")
	{
	opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec);
	}

}

//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 + ")"; 
}

function shiftOpacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) { 
var object = document.getElementById(id).style; 

    if(object.opacity * 100 != opacEnd) { 
        opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec); 
    } else { 
        opacity(id, opacEnd, opacStart, millisec); 
    } 
}