function openPopup(pageURL, options)
{
    // default settings
    var settings = { width      : 850,
                     height     : 700,
                     scrollbars : "yes",
                     statusBar  : "no",
                     locBar     : "no",
                     screenX    : 100,
                     screenY    : 100,
                     resize     : "yes",
                     winName    : "popup",  // names the window so that it can be referenced by this name in javascript
                     asTab      : false
                   };

    $.extend(settings, options);

    // window bars
    var windowAttr = "location=" + settings.locBar + ",status=" + settings.statusBar;
    windowAttr += ",directories=no,menubar=no,titlebar=yes,toolbar=no,dependent=yes, scrollbars=yes";

    // window attributes
    windowAttr += ",width=" + settings.width + ",height=" + settings.height + ",resizable=" + settings.resize;
    windowAttr += ",screenX=" + settings.screenX + ",screenY=" + settings.screenY;

    var newWin = window.open( pageURL, settings.winName,  settings.asTab ? "" : windowAttr );
    newWin.focus();
}