function alphaIE( elementID )
{
    var obj = document.getElementById( elementID );
    if( obj.tagName == "IMG" ) // this is an image
    {
        var src = obj.src;
        obj.style.width = obj.width + "px";
        obj.style.height = obj.height + "px";
        obj.src = imagePath + "/x.png";
        obj.runtimeStyle.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='" + src + "', sizingMethod='scale')";
    }
    else //not an image, it's a background or something
    {
        var bg = obj.currentStyle.backgroundImage;
        if (bg.match(/\.png/i) != null) {
            var mypng = bg.substring(5,bg.length-2);
            obj.style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='"+mypng+"', sizingMethod='scale')";
            obj.style.backgroundImage = "url( " + imagePath + "/x.png )";
        }
    }
}

function hardAlphaIE( elementID, theWidth, theHeight )
{
    var obj = document.getElementById( elementID );
    if( obj.tagName == "IMG" ) // this is an image
    {
        var src = obj.src;
        obj.style.width = theWidth + "px";
        obj.style.height = theHeight + "px";
        obj.style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='" + src + "', sizingMethod='scale')"
        obj.src = imagePath + "/x.png";
    }
    else //not an image, it's a background or something
    {
        var bg = obj.currentStyle.backgroundImage;
        if (bg.match(/\.png/i) != null) {
            var mypng = bg.substring(5,bg.length-2);
            obj.style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='"+mypng+"', sizingMethod='scale')";
            obj.style.backgroundImage = "url( " + imagePath + "/x.png )";
        }
    }
}