//check to the see if the user is signed in
	if (document.cookie.indexOf("wpniuser") != -1)
	{
	  var start = (document.cookie.indexOf("wpniuser") + 9);
	  var end = (document.cookie.indexOf(";",start)) == -1 ? document.cookie.length : document.cookie.indexOf(";",start);
	  cookieuser = document.cookie.substring(start,end);

// show their username and registration links
	  if(cookieuser.indexOf("@") != -1) cookieuser = cookieuser.substring(0,cookieuser.indexOf("@"));
	  nav_reg_info = ('<span class="globalnav_business_2" style="color:#333333;">Hello '+cookieuser+'<br></span>');
	  nav_reg_info += ('<a href="/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/registration/manage&destination=manage&nextstep=gather">Change Preferences</a>');
	  nav_reg_info += ('&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/registration/login&destination=logout&nextstep=confirm">Sign out</a>');
	}
//if they're not signed in, prompt them to sign in
	else
	{
	  nav_reg_info = ('&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/registration/register&destination=login&nextstep=gather&application=reg30-globalnav&applicationURL=http://www.washingtonpost.com">Sign In</a>');
	  nav_reg_info += ('&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/registration/register&destination=register&nextstep=gather&application=reg30-globalnav&applicationURL=http://www.washingtonpost.com">Register Now</a>');
	 }