jQuery.extend({
        getUrlVars: function () { // function that parses the url and gets us the variable value
            var vars = [], hash;
            var hashes = window.location.href.slice(window.location.href.indexOf('?') + 1).split('&');
            for (var i = 0; i < hashes.length; i++) {
                hash = hashes[i].split('=');
                vars.push(hash[0]);
                vars[hash[0]] = hash[1];
            }
            return vars;
        },
        getUrlVar: function (name) {
            return jQuery.getUrlVars()[name];
        }
    });