RavelryThing = function() {
            var progressData = null;
            
            // Dollar and Dollar E convenience
            var $ = function(id) { return document.getElementById(id); };
        
            var $E = function(data) {
                var el;
                if ('string' == typeof data) {
                  el = document.createTextNode(data);
                } else {
                  el = document.createElement(data.tag);
                  delete(data.tag);
                  if ('undefined' != typeof data.children) {
                    for (var i=0, child=null; 'undefined' != typeof (child=data.children[i]); i++) { if (child) { el.appendChild($E(child)); } }
                    delete(data.children);
                  }
                  for (attr in data) { 
                    if (attr == 'style') {
                      for (s in data[attr]) {
                        el.style[s] =  data[attr][s];
                      } 
                    } else if (data[attr]) {
                      el[attr]=data[attr]; 
                    }
                  }
                }
                return el;
            };
            
            return {
              progressReceived: function(data) {
                progressData = data;
              },
        
              /*
                Allowed options are: color, width, height, photos (true/false), 
                projects (list of permalinks for specific projects). For example:
                drawProgressBars({color: 'red', width: 200, height: 20});
              */
              drawProgressBars: function(options) {
                if (!progressData) return;
                
                if (!options) options = {};
                if ('number' == typeof options.height) options.height += 'px';
                if (!options.height) options.height = '1.3em';
                if (!options.width) options.width = 100;
                if (!options.color) options.color = 'lightgreen';
                if (!options.container) options.container = 'rav_progress_bars';
                
                var container = $(options.container);
                if (!container) {
                  // using unicode so that Blogger doesn't get cranky 
                  document.write("\u003cdiv id='" + options.container + "'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e");
                  container = $(options.container);
                }
                
                var selectedProjects = progressData.projects;
                if (options.projects) {
                  // user has selected individual projects
                  var projectsById = new Object();
                  for (var i=0; i < selectedProjects.length; i++) {
                    projectsById[selectedProjects[i].permalink] = selectedProjects[i];
                  }
                  selectedProjects = new Array();
                  for (var i=0; i < options.projects.length; i++) {
                    var project = projectsById[options.projects[i]];
                    if (project) {
                      selectedProjects.push(project);
                    }
                  }
                }
                
                for (var i=0; i < selectedProjects.length; i++) {
                  var project = selectedProjects[i];
                  var filledStyle = { width: Math.round((project.progress/100) * options.width) + 'px', height: options.height, backgroundColor: options.color};
                  var barStyle = { width: (options.width) + 'px', height: options.height};
                  var className = 'rav_project'
                  
                  var photo = null;
                  if (options.photos && project.thumbnail) {
                    className += ' rav_project_with_photos';
                    photo = { tag: 'a', className: 'rav_photo_link', href: project.thumbnail.flickrUrl, children: [
                        {tag: 'img', src: project.thumbnail.src }
                      ]
                    };
                  }
                  
                  var title = null;
                  if (options.title != false) {
                    title = { tag: 'a', className: 'rav_title', href: project.url, children: [project.name] };
                  }
                  
                  container.appendChild($E({
                    tag: 'div',
                    className: className,
                    children: [ title, photo,
                      { tag: 'div', className: 'rav_progress_bar_wrapper', style: barStyle, children: [
                        { tag: 'div', className: 'rav_progress_bar', style: barStyle, children: [
                          {tag: 'div', className: 'rav_progress_filled', style: filledStyle},
                          {tag: 'div', className: 'rav_progress_text', style: barStyle, 
                            children: [ project.progress + '%' ]}
                        ]}
                      ]}
                    ]
                  }));
                }
              }
            }
          }();