function publishDate(pubDate) {
	// COMPARES pubDate WITH CURRENT DATE AND DISPLAYS USER FRIENDLY INFORMATION
	// RETURNS "30 minutes ago", "3 days ago", ETC.
	// FORMAT OF pubDate: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:45:00 EST
	// FORMAT OF nowDate: Thu Apr 03 09:45:00 2008

	flagDate = false;
	if (pubDate == "") {
		flagDate = true;
	}
	pubMonth = pubDate.substr(8,3);
	pubDay = pubDate.substr(5,2);
	pubYear = pubDate.substr(12,4);
	pubHours = pubDate.substr(17,2);
	pubMinutes = pubDate.substr(20,2);
	pubSeconds = pubDate.substr(23,2);
	
	switch(pubMonth) {
		case "Jan": 
			pubMonth = 1;
			break;    
		case "Feb":
			pubMonth = 2;
			break;
		case "Mar":
			pubMonth = 3;
			break;
		case "Apr":
			pubMonth = 4;
			break;
		case "May":
			pubMonth = 5;
			break;
		case "Jun":
			pubMonth = 6;
			break;
		case "Jul":
			pubMonth = 7;
			break;
		case "Aug":
			pubMonth = 8;
			break;
		case "Sep":
			pubMonth = 9;
			break;
		case "Oct":
			pubMonth = 10;
			break;
		case "Nov":
			pubMonth = 11;
			break;
		case "Dec":
			pubMonth = 12;
			break;
	}

	var nowDate = new Date();
	nowMonth = (nowDate.getMonth() + 1);
	nowDay = nowDate.getDate();
	nowYear = nowDate.getFullYear();
	nowHours = nowDate.getHours();
	nowMinutes = nowDate.getMinutes();
	nowSeconds = nowDate.getSeconds();

	differenceMonth = nowMonth - pubMonth;
	differenceDay = nowDay - pubDay;
	differenceYear = nowYear - pubYear;
	differenceHours = nowHours - pubHours;
	differenceMinutes = nowMinutes - pubMinutes;
	differenceSeconds = nowSeconds - pubSeconds;

	// DEFINES ONE MONTH AS 28 DAYS
	if ((differenceDay >= 28) && (differenceMonth < 1)) {
		differenceMonth = differenceMonth + 1;
		differenceDay = 0;
	}

	// ADJUST FOR OVERLAPPING MONTHS / DAYS
	if (differenceMonth < 0) {
		differenceMonth = differenceMonth + 12;
		differenceYear = differenceYear - 1;
	}
	if (differenceDay < 0) {
		differenceDay = differenceDay + 30;
		differenceMonth = differenceMonth - 1;
	}

	// SET PUBLISH STATEMENTS
	if (differenceYear >= 1) {
		if (differenceYear > 1) {
			pubDate = differenceYear + " years ago";
		}
		else {
			pubDate = "1 year ago";
		}
	}
	else if (differenceMonth != 0) {
		if (differenceMonth > 1) {
			pubDate = differenceMonth + " months ago";
		}
		else {
			pubDate = "1 month ago";
		}
	}
	else if (differenceDay != 0) {
		if (differenceDay >= 7) {
			differenceDay = Math.round(differenceDay / 7);
			if (differenceDay > 1) {
				pubDate = differenceDay + " weeks ago";
			}
			else {
				pubDate = "1 week ago";
			}
		}
		else if (differenceDay > 1) {
			pubDate = differenceDay + " days ago";
		}
		else {
			pubDate = "1 day ago";
		}
	}
	else if (differenceHours != 0) {
		if (differenceHours > 1) {
			pubDate = differenceHours + " hours ago";
		}
		else {
			pubDate = "1 hour ago";
		}
	}
	else if (differenceMinutes != 0) {
		if (differenceMinutes > 1) {
			pubDate = differenceMinutes + " minutes ago";
		}
		else {
			pubDate = "1 minute ago";
		}
	}
	else if (differenceSeconds != 0) {
		if (differenceSeconds > 1) {
			pubDate = differenceSeconds + " seconds ago";
		}
		else {
			pubDate = "1 second ago";
		}
	}
	

	if (flagDate) {
		pubDate = "";
	}
	else {
		pubDate = " - " + pubDate;
	}
	return pubDate;
}