function showResponse(originalRequest){
	alert(originalRequest.responseText);
}

function isBlank(obj){
	return (obj == null || obj == undefined || obj == '');
}

function genericFailureMessage(origReq){
    var message = 'The system has experienced an error.';
		if (!isBlank(origReq.responseText))
				message = origReq.responseText;
		message = message.truncate(650);
    alert(message);
}      

function parseJSON(jsonData){
	return eval('(' + jsonData + ')');
} 
     

function params(a){
	h = new Hash(a);
	return h.toQueryString();
}