function showAlert(message, type, appendto, closeDelay) {
    var alert = "";
    var $cont = $("#" + appendto);

    //if ($cont.length == 0) {
    //    // alerts-container does not exist, create it
    //    $cont = $('<div id="alerts-container">')              
    //        .appendTo($("#divMsg"));
    //}

    // default to alert-info; other options include success, warning, danger
    type = type || "info";

    switch (type) {
        case "success":
            alert = $('<div>').addClass("fade in show alert alert-" + type)
                  .append($('<a href="#" class="close" data-dismiss="alert">').append("&times;")).append("<strong>Success! </strong>").append("  ").append(message);
            break;
        case "danger":
            alert = $('<div>').addClass("fade in show alert alert-" + type)
               .append($('<a href="#" class="close" data-dismiss="alert">').append("&times;")).append("<strong>Error!</strong>").append("  ").append(message);
            break;
        case "warning":
            alert = $('<div>').addClass("fade in show alert alert-" + type)
               .append($('<a href="#" class="close" data-dismiss="alert">').append("&times;")).append("<strong>Warning! </strong>").append("  ").append(message);
            break;
        default:
            alert = $('<div>').addClass("fade in show alert alert-" + type)
              .append($('<a href="#" class="close" data-dismiss="alert">').append("&times;")).append("<strong>Note! </strong>").append("  ").append(message);
            break;
    }

    // add the alert div to top of alerts-container, use append() to add to bottom
    $cont.prepend(alert);

    // if closeDelay was passed - set a timeout to close the alert
    if (closeDelay)
        window.setTimeout(function () { alert.alert("close"); }, closeDelay);
}