// assign menu events
	menuItems = document.getElementById("menu").getElementsByTagName("a");
	for (i=0; i < menuItems.length; i++)
	{
		menuItems[i].onmouseover = menuItemHighlight;
		menuItems[i].onmouseout = menuItemQuench;
	}

	// menu mouseover event
	function menuItemHighlight(e)
	{
		if (!e) e = window.event; //storing the event in var e
		target = (e.target) ? e.target: e.srcElement; //storing the target of the event in target

		target.innerHTML = "&#9642; " + target.innerHTML + " &#9642;";
	}

	// menu mouseout event
	function menuItemQuench(e)
	{
		if (!e) e = window.event; //storing the event in var e
		target = (e.target) ? e.target: e.srcElement; //storing the target of the event in target

		target.innerHTML = target.innerHTML.substring(2, target.innerHTML.length - 2);
	}

	// menuitem 'links' click
	function showLinks()
	{
		document.getElementById("welcomeText").style.display = "none";
		document.getElementById("links").style.display = "block";
	}