function checkMail() {
    //check to see if Breaking News email is valid before submitting
    var x = document.breakingnews.subemail.value;
    var filter  = /^([a-zA-Z0-9_\.\-])+\@(([a-zA-Z0-9\-])+\.)+([a-zA-Z0-9]{2,4})+$/;
    if (filter.test(x)) {
      return true;
    } else {
      alert('Invalid email address specified!');
      return false;
    }
  }

  function check_all (form) {
    //check to see if they entered a first name
    if (!form.firstname.value) { 
      alert("Please enter your first name."); 
      form.firstname.focus();
      return false; 
    }

    //check to see if they entered a last name
    if (!form.lastname.value) { 
      alert("Please enter your last name."); 
      form.lastname.focus();
      return false; 
    }

    //check on account num, if it is not disabled
    if (form.accountnum.disabled == false) {
      if (!form.accountnum.value) {
        alert("Please enter an account number.");
        form.accountnum.focus(); 
        return false;
      } 
    }

    //check to see if they entered a username
    if (!form.username.value) { 
      alert("Please enter a username."); 
      form.username.focus(); 
      return false; 
    }

    //check to see if username is right length
    if ((form.username.value.length >= 5) && (form.username.value.length <= 8)) {
    } else {
      alert("Username should be between 5 and 8 characters.");
      form.username.value='';
      form.username.focus(); 
      return false;
    }  

    //check to see if they entered a passwword
    if (!form.pwd1.value) { 
      alert("Please enter a password."); 
      form.pwd1.focus(); 
      return false; 
    }

    //check to see if password is right length
    if ((form.pwd1.value.length >= 5) && (form.pwd1.value.length <= 8)) {
    } else {
      alert("Password should be between 5 and 8 characters.");
      form.pwd1.value='';
      form.pwd1.focus(); 
      return false;
    }  

    //check to see if they entered a password confirmation
    if (!form.pwd2.value) { 
      alert("Please enter your password again to confirm it.");
      form.pwd2.focus(); 
      return false; 
    }

    //check to see if password confirmation is right length
    if ((form.pwd2.value.length >= 5) && (form.pwd2.value.length <= 8)) {
    } else {
      alert("Confirm password should be between 5 and 8 characters.");
      form.pwd2.value='';
      form.pwd2.focus(); 
      return false;
    }  

    //check to see if passwords match
    if (form.pwd1.value != form.pwd2.value) {
      form.pwd1.value='';
      form.pwd2.value='';
      alert("Passwords do not match!");
      form.pwd1.focus();
      return false;
    }

    //check to see if they entered an e-mail address
    if (!form.email.value) { 
      alert("Please enter an e-mail address."); 
      form.email.focus(); 
      return false; 
    }

    //check to see if e-mail address is valid
    var x = form.email.value;
    var filter  = /^([a-zA-Z0-9_\.\-])+\@(([a-zA-Z0-9\-])+\.)+([a-zA-Z0-9]{2,4})+$/;
    if (filter.test(x)) {
      return true;
    } else {
      alert('Please enter a valid email address');
      form.email.value='';
      form.email.focus(); 
      return false;
    }
  }

  function Mod10(ccNumb) {  // v2.0
    var valid = "0123456789"  // Valid digits in a credit card number
    var len = ccNumb.length;  // The length of the submitted cc number
    var iCCN = parseInt(ccNumb);  // integer of ccNumb
    var sCCN = ccNumb.toString();  // string of ccNumb
    sCCN = sCCN.replace (/^\s+|\s+$/g,'');  // strip spaces
    var iTotal = 0;  // integer total set at zero
    var bNum = true;  // by default assume it is a number
    var bResult = false;  // by default assume it is NOT a valid cc
    var temp;  // temp variable for parsing string
    var calc;  // used for calculation of each digit

    // Determine if the ccNumb is in fact all numbers
    for (var j=0; j<len; j++) {
      temp = "" + sCCN.substring(j, j+1);
      if (valid.indexOf(temp) == "-1"){bNum = false;}
    }

    // if it is NOT a number, you can either alert to the fact, or just pass a failure
    if(!bNum){
    /*alert("Not a Number");*/bResult = false;
    }

    // Determine if it is the proper length 
    if((len == 0)&&(bResult)){  // nothing, field is blank AND passed above # check
      bResult = false;
    } else{  // ccNumb is a number and the proper length - let's see if it is a valid card number
      if(len >= 15){  // 15 or 16 for Amex or V/MC
        for(var i=len;i>0;i--) {  // LOOP throught the digits of the card
          calc = parseInt(iCCN) % 10;  // right most digit
          calc = parseInt(calc);  // assure it is an integer
          iTotal += calc;  // running total of the card number as we loop - Do Nothing to first digit
          i--;  // decrement the count - move to the next digit in the card
          iCCN = iCCN / 10;                               // subtracts right most digit from ccNumb
          calc = parseInt(iCCN) % 10 ;    // NEXT right most digit
          calc = calc *2;                                 // multiply the digit by two
          // Instead of some screwy method of converting 16 to a string and then parsing 1 and 6 and then adding them to make 7,
          // I use a simple switch statement to change the value of calc2 to 7 if 16 is the multiple.
          switch(calc){
            case 10: calc = 1; break;       //5*2=10 & 1+0 = 1
            case 12: calc = 3; break;       //6*2=12 & 1+2 = 3
            case 14: calc = 5; break;       //7*2=14 & 1+4 = 5
            case 16: calc = 7; break;       //8*2=16 & 1+6 = 7
            case 18: calc = 9; break;       //9*2=18 & 1+8 = 9
            default: calc = calc;           //4*2= 8 &   8 = 8  -same for all lower numbers
          }                                               
        iCCN = iCCN / 10;  // subtracts right most digit from ccNum
        iTotal += calc;  // running total of the card number as we loop
      }  // END OF LOOP

      if ((iTotal%10)==0){  // check to see if the sum Mod 10 is zero
        bResult = true;  // This IS (or could be) a valid credit card number.
      } else {
        bResult = false;  // This could NOT be a valid credit card number
      }
    }
  }
  // change alert to on-page display or other indication as needed.
  if(!bResult){
    alert("This is NOT a valid Credit Card Number!");
  }
    return bResult; // Return the results
  }