function grayOut(vis, options) {  
	
	// Pass true to gray out screen, false to ungray  
	// options are optional.  This is a JSON object with the following (optional) properties  
	// opacity:0-100         
	// Lower number = less grayout higher = more of a blackout   
	// zindex: #             
	// HTML elements with a higher zindex appear on top of the gray out  
	// bgcolor: (#xxxxxx)    
	// Standard RGB Hex color code  
	// grayOut(true, {'zindex':'50', 'bgcolor':'#0000FF', 'opacity':'70'});  
	// Because options is JSON opacity/zindex/bgcolor are all optional and can appear  
	// in any order.  Pass only the properties you need to set.  
	var options = options || {};   
	var zindex = options.zindex || 50;  
	var opacity = options.opacity || 60;  
	var opaque = (opacity / 100);  
	var bgcolor = options.bgcolor || '#000000';  
	var dark=document.getElementById('darkenScreenObject');  
	if (!dark) {    
		// The dark layer doesn't exist, it's never been created.  So we'll    
		// create it here and apply some basic styles.    
		// If you are getting errors in IE see: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/927917    
		var tbody = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0];    
		var tnode = document.createElement('div');           
		// Create the layer.        
		tnode.style.position='absolute';                 
		// Position absolutely        
		tnode.style.top='0px';                           
		// In the top        
		tnode.style.left='0px';                          
		// Left corner of the page        
		tnode.style.overflow='hidden';                   
		// Try to avoid making scroll bars                    
		tnode.style.display='none';                      
		// Start out Hidden        
		tnode.id='darkenScreenObject';                   
		// Name it so we can find it later    
		tbody.appendChild(tnode);                            
		// Add it to the web page    
		dark=document.getElementById('darkenScreenObject');  
		// Get the object.  
	}  
	if (vis) { 
		var cook = readCookie("dontshow");
        
		if(!cook){   
			// Calculate the page width and height     
			if( document.body && ( document.body.scrollWidth || document.body.scrollHeight ) ) {        
				var pageWidth = document.body.scrollWidth+'px';        
				var pageHeight = document.body.scrollHeight+'px';    
			} else if( document.body.offsetWidth ) {      
				var pageWidth = document.body.offsetWidth+'px';      
				var pageHeight = document.body.offsetHeight+'px';    
			} else {       
				var pageWidth='100%';       
				var pageHeight='100%';    
			}       
			
			//set the shader to cover the entire page and make it visible.    
			dark.style.opacity=opaque;                          
			dark.style.MozOpacity=opaque;                       
			dark.style.filter='alpha(opacity='+opacity+')';     
			dark.style.zIndex=zindex;            
			dark.style.backgroundColor=bgcolor;      
			dark.style.width= pageWidth;    
			dark.style.height= pageHeight;    
			dark.style.display='block';  
		
			var w = (500);
			var h = (350);
			var top = (document.body.clientHeight - h)/2;;
			var left = (document.body.clientWidth - w)/2;
			//300 X 200
			//news = document.getElementById('news');
			document.getElementById('news').style.zIndex = 51; 
			document.getElementById('news').style.top = top;
			document.getElementById('news').style.left = left;
		}
	} else {     
		dark.style.display='none';  
		document.getElementById('news').style.zIndex = -1;
		if(document.getElementById('dontshow').checked == true){
			createCookie('dontshow', "true", 30);	
		}
	}
}

function createCookie(name,value,days) {
	if (days) {
		var date = new Date();
		date.setTime(date.getTime()+(days*24*60*60*1000));
		var expires = "; expires="+date.toGMTString();
	}
	else var expires = "";
	document.cookie = name+"="+value+expires+"; path=/";
}

function readCookie(name) {
	var nameEQ = name + "=";
    
	var ca = document.cookie.split(';');
	for(var i=0;i < ca.length;i++) {
		var c = ca[i];
		while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c = c.substring(1,c.length);
		if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);
	}
	return null;
}

function eraseCookie(name) {
	createCookie(name,"",-1);
}