var standBy = true;
  var isVotingClosed = false;
  var promoHeaderSwf = "flash/promo_header/agShowdown_tvPromo.swf";

  function timezone() {
	var rightNow = new Date();
	var jan1 = new Date(rightNow.getFullYear(), 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0);  // jan 1st
	var june1 = new Date(rightNow.getFullYear(), 6, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0); // june 1st
	var temp = jan1.toGMTString();
	var jan2 = new Date(temp.substring(0, temp.lastIndexOf(" ")-1));
	temp = june1.toGMTString();
	var june2 = new Date(temp.substring(0, temp.lastIndexOf(" ")-1));
	var std_time_offset = (jan1 - jan2) / (1000 * 60 * 60);
	var daylight_time_offset = (june1 - june2) / (1000 * 60 * 60);
	var dst;
	if (std_time_offset == daylight_time_offset) {
	   dst = "0"; // daylight savings time is NOT observed
	} else {
	   // positive is southern, negative is northern hemisphere
	   var hemisphere = std_time_offset - daylight_time_offset;
	   if (hemisphere >= 0)
			   std_time_offset = daylight_time_offset;
	   dst = "1"; // daylight savings time is observed
	}
	return std_time_offset;
  }

  // set cutoff dates and times for VOTING
  var votingCloseTime = new Date();
  votingCloseTime.setFullYear(2009,5,27); // months are zero-indexed (ie. June 27 here)
  votingCloseTime.setHours(19); // 7:45pm
  votingCloseTime.setMinutes(45);

  // set cutoff dates and times for VIEWING WINNERS
  var showWinnersTime = new Date();
  showWinnersTime.setFullYear(2009,5,27); // months are zero-indexed (ie. June 27 here)
  showWinnersTime.setHours(22); // 10:00pm
  showWinnersTime.setMinutes(0);

  var now = new Date();

  if (now >= showWinnersTime) {
	  standBy = false;
	  promoHeaderSwf = "flash/promo_header/agShowdown_tvPromo_winers.swf";
	  //alert("winners are visible!");
  }

  if (now >= votingCloseTime) {
	  isVotingClosed = true;
	  //alert("voting is now closed!");
  }
  if (now >= showWinnersTime) {
	  standBy = false;
	  //alert("winners are visible!");
  }