function slideSwitch(slideNum) {
    var $active = $('#slideshow li.active');

    if ($active.length == 0) $active = $('#slideshow li:last');

    // use this to pull the divs in the order they appear in the markup
    var $next = $active.next().length ? $active.next()
        : $('#slideshow li:first');

    if (slideNum > 0) {
        var $sibs = $active.siblings();
        $next = $('#slideshow li#m' + slideNum);
    }
    // uncomment below to pull the divs randomly
    // var $sibs  = $active.siblings();
    // var rndNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * $sibs.length );
    // var $next  = $( $sibs[ rndNum ] );

    $('#slideshow_control>li').siblings().removeClass('selected');
    $('#slideshow_control li#c' + $next.attr('id').replace('m','')).addClass('selected');

    if ($active.attr('id') != slideNum) {
        $active.addClass('last-active');

        $next.css({ opacity: 0.0 })
            .addClass('active')
            .animate({ opacity: 1.0 }, 1000, function () {
                $active.removeClass('active last-active');
            });
    }
}

function manualSwitch(slideNum) {
    clearInterval(fader);
    slideSwitch(slideNum);
    fader = setInterval("slideSwitch(0)", 5500);
}

$(function () {
    fader = setInterval("slideSwitch(0)", 5500);
});