// --- HELPER METHODS --- //
function GetObject(obj)
{
    return ((typeof(obj) != 'object') ? document.getElementById(obj) : obj);
}


// reliably discover the position of an object
function findPos(obj) {
    var curleft = curtop = 0;
    
    if(obj.offsetParent)
    {
     do {
        curleft += obj.offsetLeft;
        curtop += obj.offsetTop;
     } while (obj = obj.offsetParent);
    }
    
    return [curleft, curtop];
}