function dcountup(startingdate, baseunit) {
        this.currentTime = new Date()
        this.startingdate = new Date(startingdate)
        this.timesup = false
        this.baseunit = baseunit
        this.start()
    }

    dcountup.prototype.oncountup = function () { } //default action for "oncountup"

    dcountup.prototype.start = function () {
        var thisobj = this
        this.currentTime.setSeconds(this.currentTime.getSeconds() + 1)
        var timediff = (this.currentTime - this.startingdate) / 1000 //difference btw target date and current date, in seconds
        var oneMinute = 60 //minute unit in seconds
        var oneHour = 60 * 60 //hour unit in seconds
        var oneDay = 60 * 60 * 24 //day unit in seconds
        var dayfield = Math.floor(timediff / oneDay)
        var hourfield = Math.floor((timediff - dayfield * oneDay) / oneHour)
        var minutefield = Math.floor((timediff - dayfield * oneDay - hourfield * oneHour) / oneMinute)
        var secondfield = Math.floor((timediff - dayfield * oneDay - hourfield * oneHour - minutefield * oneMinute))
        if (this.baseunit == "hours") { //if base unit is hours, set "hourfield" to be topmost level
            hourfield = dayfield * 24 + hourfield
            dayfield = "n/a"
        }
        else if (this.baseunit == "minutes") { //if base unit is minutes, set "minutefield" to be topmost level
            minutefield = dayfield * 24 * 60 + hourfield * 60 + minutefield
            dayfield = hourfield = "n/a"
        }
        else if (this.baseunit == "seconds") { //if base unit is seconds, set "secondfield" to be topmost level
            var secondfield = timediff
            dayfield = hourfield = minutefield = "n/a"
        }
        var result = { days: dayfield, hours: hourfield, minutes: minutefield, seconds: secondfield }
        this.oncountup(result)
        setTimeout(function () { thisobj.start() }, 1000) //update results every second
    }

    //SYNTAX: myvariable=new dcountup(past_date_and_time_string, "baseunit")
    var devsince = new dcountup("January 1, 1996 13:30:00", "days")

    devsince.oncountup = function (result) {
        var mycontainer = document.getElementById("cpcontainer")
        mycontainer.innerHTML = "<span class='counter'>ASPdeveloper for " + result['days'] + " <sup>days</sup> " + result['hours'] + " <sup>hours</sup> " + result['minutes'] + " <sup>minutes</sup> " + result['seconds'] + " <sup>seconds</sup></span>"
    }