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;   
}