function getCookie(theName){               //theName = theName of the cookie
	var theNameLen = theName.length;
    var theCookieLen = document.cookie.length;
    var cookieEnd;
    var i =0;
    
    while(i < theCookieLen){
        var stringPointer = i + theNameLen;
        
        if(document.cookie.substring(i,stringPointer) == theName){
            cookieEnd = document.cookie.indexOf(";",stringPointer);
    	    if (cookieEnd == -1) {                                                      // end of cookie of the cookie was reached
                cookieEnd = document.cookie.length;
            }//if
            return unescape(document.cookie.substring(stringPointer+1,cookieEnd));         // return the cookie
         }//if  
         i++; 	
	}//while
    return ""  ;                                                                        // theName not found
}//getCookie

function clearFirstTime(){
    firstTime = true;
}  //clearFirstTime

function writeCookie(theName,theValue){ 
	document.cookie = theName + "=" + theValue;
}  //writeCookie

function writeCookie2(theName,theValue){ 
    var expiresDate = new Date();
    var oneYear = expiresDate.getTime() +(365 *24*60*60*1000);  // convert 1 year to seconds
    expiresDate.setTime(oneYear);        
	document.cookie = theName + "=" + theValue + "; expires = " + expiresDate.toGMTString();  //convert time to greenwich 
}  //writeCookie