var baseopacity=0

function showtext(thetext){
  if (!document.getElementById)
    return
  textcontainerobj=document.getElementById("menu_status")
  browserdetect=textcontainerobj.filters? "ie" : typeof textcontainerobj.style.MozOpacity=="string"? "mozilla" : ""
  instantset(baseopacity)
  document.getElementById("menu_status").innerHTML=thetext
  highlighting=setInterval("gradualfade(textcontainerobj)",50)
}

function hidetext(){
  cleartimer()
  instantset(baseopacity)
}

function instantset(degree){
  if (browserdetect=="mozilla")
    textcontainerobj.style.MozOpacity=degree/100
  else if (browserdetect=="ie")
    textcontainerobj.filters.alpha.opacity=degree
  else if (document.getElementById && baseopacity==0)
  document.getElementById("menu_status").innerHTML=""
}

function cleartimer(){
  if (window.highlighting) clearInterval(highlighting)
}

function gradualfade(cur2){
  if (browserdetect=="mozilla" && cur2.style.MozOpacity<1)
    cur2.style.MozOpacity=Math.min(parseFloat(cur2.style.MozOpacity)+0.2, 0.99)
  else if (browserdetect=="ie" && cur2.filters.alpha.opacity<100)
    cur2.filters.alpha.opacity+=20
  else if (window.highlighting)
  clearInterval(highlighting)
}