// these first two functions are using fixed parameters for the names
// and number of columns, these can be used for a layout where 
function getLongest_1() {
	colLength = new Array(2);
	colLength[0] = document.getElementById("column_1").offsetHeight;
	colLength[1] = document.getElementById("column_2").offsetHeight;

	colLength.sort(sortNumeric);
	colLength.reverse();
	return colLength[0];
}
function setLongest() {
	divLen = getLongest_1();
	document.getElementById("column_1").style.height = divLen+"px";
	document.getElementById("column_2").style.height = divLen+"px";

	
}
function sortNumeric(a,b)
{
return a - b
}

function startList() {
if (document.all&&document.getElementById) {
navRoot = document.getElementById("nav");
for (i=0; i<navRoot.childNodes.length; i++) {
node = navRoot.childNodes[i];
if (node.nodeName=="LI") {
node.onmouseover=function() {
this.className+=" over";
  }
  node.onmouseout=function() {
  this.className=this.className.replace(" over", "");
   }
   }
  }
 }
}

function toggleMe(a){
  var e=document.getElementById(a);
  if(!e)return true;
for (i=0; i<e.childNodes.length; i++) {
node = e.childNodes[i];
if (node.className=="news-text") {
  if(node.style.display=="block"){
    node.style.display="none"
  } else {
    node.style.display="block"
  }
}
}
  return true;
}