function echeck(str) {

		var at="@"
		var dot="."
		var lat=str.indexOf(at)
		var lstr=str.length
		var ldot=str.indexOf(dot)
		if (str.indexOf(at)==-1){
		   missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		   return false
		}

		if (str.indexOf(at)==-1 || str.indexOf(at)==0 || str.indexOf(at)==lstr){
		   missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		   return false
		}

		if (str.indexOf(dot)==-1 || str.indexOf(dot)==0 || str.indexOf(dot)==lstr){
		    missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		    return false
		}

		 if (str.indexOf(at,(lat+1))!=-1){
		    missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		    return false
		 }

		 if (str.substring(lat-1,lat)==dot || str.substring(lat+1,lat+2)==dot){
		    missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		    return false
		 }

		 if (str.indexOf(dot,(lat+2))==-1){
		    missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		    return false
		 }
		
		 if (str.indexOf(" ")!=-1){
		    missinginfo += "\n - Please enter in a valid email address.\n";
		    return false
		 }

 		 return true					
	}

function checkme() {
	missinginfo = "";
	var invalid = " ";
	//var stuchars = "a";
	
	if (document.form.firstname.value == "") 
 	{
    missinginfo += "\n - You didn't enter in your first name.\n";
 	} 
	
	if (document.form.lastname.value == "") 
 	{
    missinginfo += "\n - You didn't enter in your last name.\n";
 	}
	
	if (document.form.email.value == "") 
 	{
    missinginfo += "\n - You didn't enter in your email address.\n";
 	}
	if (document.form.pass.value != "")
	{
		if (document.form.pass.value != document.form.pass2.value) 
 		{
    		missinginfo += "\n - Passwords do not match.\n";
 		}
	}
			
	//email validation
	var emailID=document.form.email;
	
	if ((emailID.value==null)||(emailID.value=="")){
		missinginfo += "\n - You have not entered in an email address";
		emailID.focus()
		//return false
	}else if (echeck(emailID.value)==false){
		emailID.value=""
		emailID.focus()
		//return false
	}
	//return true
	// up to here
	
	if (missinginfo != "") {
	missinginfo ="__________________________________\n" +
	"Required information is missing: \n" +
	missinginfo + "\n__________________________________" +
	"\nPlease complete and resubmit.";
	alert(missinginfo);
	return false;
	}
	else { 
	return true;
	}
}