function WM_preloadImages() {

/*
WM_preloadImages()
Loads images into the browser's cache for later use.

Source: Webmonkey Code Library
(http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/javascript/code_library/)

Author: Nadav Savio
Author Email: nadav@wired.com

Usage: WM_preloadImages('image 1 URL', 'image 2 URL', 'image 3 URL', ...);
*/

  // Don't bother if there's no document.images
  if (document.images) {

    // Make an array (on the document.WM object) to hold the images.
    document.WM = new Object;
    document.WM.WM_preloadImages = new Object;
    document.WM.WM_preloadImages.daImages = new Array;
  
    // Loop through all the arguments.
    for(arg=0;arg<WM_preloadImages.arguments.length;arg++) {
    
      // For each arg, create a new image.
      document.WM.WM_preloadImages.daImages[arg] = new Image;
    
      // Then set the source of that image to the current argument.
      document.WM.WM_preloadImages.daImages[arg].src = WM_preloadImages.arguments[arg];
    }
  }
}



// this script checks to see if the browser is MS Internet Explorer; popup menu code only works in IE, not Netscape
function isMsie4orGreater() { 
	var ua = window.navigator.userAgent ;
	var msie = ua.indexOf ("MSIE ") ;
  if (msie > 0){
		return(parseInt(ua.substring(msie+5, ua.indexOf(".", msie))) >= 4) 
    && (ua.indexOf("MSIE 4.0b") < 0) ;
	}
	else {
    return false ;
	} 
}


// the following scripts handle the mouseover effects for the navigation
function switch_on(item) {
	if (document.images) {
		document.images[item].src = "images/" + item + "-over.gif";
	}
}

function switch_off(item) {
	if (document.images) {
		document.images[item].src = "images/" + item + ".gif";
	}
}