function close_flash() 
  {
      e = document.getElementById('flash_layer');
      e.style.display = 'none';
    
      restartTheTicker();
  }

  function show_flash() 
  {
      var datum  = new Date();
      var expire = datum.getTime();
      
      datum.setTime( expire - 1000 );
      
      document.cookie =  "flash_layer=flash_layer; expires=" 
                        +datum.toGMTString();
                        
      window.location.reload();
  }

  var show_flash=false;

  var MM_contentVersion = 6;
  var plugin = (      navigator.mimeTypes 
                   && navigator.mimeTypes [ "application/x-shockwave-flash" ] ) 
                 ? navigator.mimeTypes [ "application/x-shockwave-flash" ].enabledPlugin : 0;

  if ( plugin ) 
  {
      var words = navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"].description.split(" ");
	  for (var i = 0; i < words.length; ++i)
	  {
  		  if (isNaN(parseInt(words[i]))){
		    continue;
	  }
		  var MM_PluginVersion = words[i]; 
  }
	    
	var MM_FlashCanPlay = MM_PluginVersion >= MM_contentVersion;
  }
  else if (navigator.userAgent && navigator.userAgent.indexOf("MSIE")>=0 
       && (navigator.appVersion.indexOf("Win") != -1)) 
  {
   
	document.write('<SCR' + 'IPT LANGUAGE=VBScript\> \n'); //FS hide this from IE4.5 Mac by splitting the tag
	document.write('on error resume next \n');
	document.write('MM_FlashCanPlay = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & MM_contentVersion)))\n');
	document.write('</SCR' + 'IPT\> \n');
  }

  if ( MM_FlashCanPlay ) {
	show_flash = true;
  }