         removeChild(labelDisplay);
         labelDisplay = null;
     }
+	
+	/**
+	 *  @private
+	 */
+	private function loadExternalImage(source:Object, iconDelay:Number):void
+	{
+		// set iconDisplay's source now to either loadingIconClass 
+		// or null (if no loadingIconClass).  this is so we don't display the old 
+		// data while we're loading.
+		iconDisplay.source = loadingIconClass;
+		
+		// while we're loading,if loadingIconClass is set, 
+		// we'll keep that image up while we're loading
+		// the external content
+		iconDisplay.clearOnLoad = (loadingIconClass == null);
+
+		if (iconDelay > 0)
+		{
+			// set what we're gonna load and start the timer
+			iconSourceToLoad = source;
+			
+			if (!iconSetterDelayTimer)
+			{
+				iconSetterDelayTimer = new Timer(iconDelay, 1);
+				iconSetterDelayTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER_COMPLETE, iconSetterDelayTimer_timerCompleteHandler);
+			}
+			
+			iconSetterDelayTimer.start();
+		}
+		else // iconDelay == 0
+		{
+			// load up the image immediately
+			
+			// need to call validateProperties because we need this loadingIconClass
+			// to actually get loaded up since we set iconDisplay.source to a remote 
+			// image on the next line.  BitmapImage doesn't actually attempt to load 
+			// up the image (even if it's a locally embedded asset) until commitProperties()
+			iconDisplay.validateProperties();
+			
+			iconDisplay.source = source;
+		}
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 *  @private
+	 */
+	private function stopLoadingExternalImage():void
+	{
+		// stop any asynch operation:
+		if (iconSetterDelayTimer)
+		{
+			iconSourceToLoad = null
+			iconSetterDelayTimer.stop();
+			iconSetterDelayTimer.reset();
+		}
+	}
     
     /**
      *  @private

            return;
        
        if (iconDisplay)
            iconDisplay.source = loadingIconSource;
        
        loadingIconSource = null;
    }
    
    /**

     *  @private
     *  The source to set iconDisplay to, after waiting an appropriate delay period
     */
    private var iconSourceToLoad:Object;
    
    //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    //
