function ahah(url, target, delay) {
// 	document.getElementById(target).innerHTML = 'Patientez...';
	document.getElementById('throbber').style.display = 'block';
	// native XMLHttpRequest object
	if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
		req = new XMLHttpRequest();
	// IE/Windows ActiveX version
	} else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
		req = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
	}
	if (req != undefined) {
		req.onreadystatechange = function() {ahahDone(url, target, delay);};
		req.open("GET", url, true);
		req.send("");
	}
}

function ahahDone(url, target, delay) {
	if (req.readyState == 4) { // only if req is "loaded"
		if (req.status == 200) { // only if "OK"
			document.getElementById(target).innerHTML = req.responseText;
// 		} else {
// 			document.getElementById(target).innerHTML = "ahah error:\n"+req.statusText;
		}
		if (delay != undefined) {
			setTimeout("ahah(url,target,delay)", delay); // resubmit after delay
			//server should ALSO delay before responding
		}
	}
}