var http_state = new Array('ready','ready','ready','ready','ready');
  var http_array = new Array(new ajax(),new ajax(),new ajax(),new ajax(),new ajax());
  var path = 'http://thinkvit.com/elliman_september/LI/';
  
  //Pointer to element
  function $(obj_id)
  {
    return document.getElementById(obj_id)||false;
  }

  //pointers to all elements with a specified tag name
  function get_tags(tag_name)
  {
    return (arguments[1])?$(arguments[1]).getElementsByTagName(tag_name)||false:document.getElementsByTagName(tag_name)||false;
  }
  //&src

  //initialize an ajax object
  function ajax()
  {
    var xmlHttp;
    try
    {
    xmlHttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
    }
    catch (e)
    {
      try
      {
         xmlHttp=new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
      }
      catch (e)
      {
        try
        {
           xmlHttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
        }
        catch (e)
        {
           alert("Your browser does not support AJAX!");
           return false;
        }
      }
    }
    return xmlHttp||false;
  }

  function get_free_port()
  {
    for(var i in http_state) if (http_state[i]=='ready') return i;
    return -1;
  }
  //&src

  //get current time
  function new_date()
  {
    return '&dt='+new Date().getTime();
  }
  //&src

  function escape2(str)
  {
    str = escape(str);
    if (str.indexOf('+')>=0)
    {
      while ( str.indexOf('+')>=0 )
      {
        str = str.replace('+','%2B');
      }
    }
    return str;
  }

  function trim(a)
  {
    a = a.replace(/^\s+/, '');
    return a.replace(/\s+$/, '');
  }