function getURLVar(urlVarName) {
//divide the URL in half at the '?' 
var urlHalves = String(document.location).split('?');
var urlVarValue = '';
if(urlHalves[1]){
//load all the name/value pairs into an array 
var urlVars = urlHalves[1].split('&');
//loop over the list, and find the specified url variable 
for(i=0; i<=(urlVars.length); i++){
if(urlVars[i]){
//load the name/value pair into an array 
var urlVarPair = urlVars[i].split('=');
if (urlVarPair[0] && urlVarPair[0] == urlVarName) {
//I found a variable that matches, load it's value into the return variable 
urlVarValue = urlVarPair[1];
}
}
}
}
return urlVarValue;   
}