$(document).ready(function() {          
	// menu
	$('#nav li').hover(
		function () {
			//show its submenu
			$('ul', this).slideDown(100);

		}, 
		function () {
			//hide its submenu
			$('ul', this).slideUp(100);			
		}
	);
	
	// format html and run slider plugin
	setupNewsSlider();
	                                    	
	function setupNewsSlider() {
		// setup variables                       
		var newHTML = "<div>";  
		var storyCount = 0;
		var totalStories = $("#news_slider ul").children().length;                           
		
		// transition list of stories into div slide format for slideshow plugin
		$("#news_slider ul").find("li").each(function(){
			newHTML += "<div class='story'>" + $(this).html() + "</div>";
			if(storyCount % 2) { // after every two stories, add another container div (slide)
				newHTML += "</div>"; 
				if(totalStories - 1 != storyCount) { // add another slide as long as we're not at the end of an even number of stories
					newHTML += "<div>";
				}
			}
			storyCount++;
		});                            
		if((storyCount % 2)) { // if odd amount of stories, cap it off
			newHTML += "<div class='story'></div>";
			newHTML += "</div>";
		}
		
		// replace html with newly formed div slide container format html
		$("#news_slider #slider").html(newHTML);
		                                            
		// as long as more than 2 stories, add slider functionality
		if(storyCount > 2) {
			$("#news_slider").prepend('<a href="#" id="news_back">back</a><a href="#" id="news_next">next</a>');            
			$('#news_slider #slider').cycle({
			    fx: "scrollHorz", speed: 1000, timeout: 4500, next: "#news_next", prev: "#news_back", cleartype: true, cleartypeNoBg: true
			});
		}
	}
});