function post_request(url, parameters, returnfunction) {
      http_request = false;
      if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
         http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
         if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
         	// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
            //http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
            http_request.overrideMimeType('text/html');
         }
      } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
         try {
            http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
         } catch (e) {
            try {
               http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            } catch (e) {}
         }
      }
      if (!http_request) {
         alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
         return false;
      }
      
      http_request.onreadystatechange = returnfunction;//'http://'+window.domain+'/'+
	  var path ='/'+url;
      http_request.open('POST', path, true);
      http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
      http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-length", parameters.length);
      http_request.setRequestHeader("Connection", "close");
      http_request.send(parameters);
}

function submit_form() {
	var url='includes/ajax.php';
	var result='ajax=send_email&';
	var list=new Array() ;
	var frm=document.getElementById('sidebarform');
	var t=document.getElementById('form_email').value;
	for (i=0; i<frm.elements.length; i++){
		if(frm.elements[i].type=="checkbox") {
			if(frm.elements[i].checked==true) {
				list[i] = frm.elements[i].name+"="+escape(frm.elements[i].value);
			} 
		} else {
			if(frm.elements[i].name == "form_email") {
				var t=frm.elements[i].value;
			}
			if(frm.elements[i].name == "Name") {
				if(frm.elements[i].value=="" || frm.elements[i].value=='Enter your name') {
					alert('Please Enter your name');
					return false;
				}
			}
			if(frm.elements[i].name == "Phone-Number") {
				if(frm.elements[i].value=="" || frm.elements[i].value=='Enter your daytime phone number') {
					alert('Please Enter your daytime phone number');
					return false;
				}
			}
			list[i] = frm.elements[i].name+"="+escape(frm.elements[i].value);
		}
	}
	if(t == "") {
	document.getElementById('sidebar-form').innerHTML='<h1>Please hold...</h1>';
		result+=list.join("&") //creates the String "Apple*Oranges"
		post_request(url,result,function(){
			if(http_request.readyState == 4) {
				var data=http_request.responseText.split("^^");
				if(data[0]=='false') {
					alert(data[1]);
				} else {
					//alert(http_request.responseText);
					document.getElementById('sidebar-form').innerHTML=data[0];
				}
				http_request.onreadystatechange = null;
			}
		});
	} else {
		document.getElementById('sidebar-form').innerHTML="Thank you for your request.<br />We will contact you shortly";
	}
	return false;
}