$(document).ready(function() {	
	// begin menu algorithm
	$("div.header span").css({'height' : '100%', 'width' : '100%', 'opacity' : '0'});
	$("div.header span").hover(function () {
			// animate opacity to full
			$(this).stop().animate({
				opacity: 1
			}, "4000");
		},
		function () {
			// animate opacity to nill
			$(this).stop().animate({
				opacity: 0
		}, "4000");
	});//end menu algorithm	
});
$(window).load(function() {

    //add padding last to the last element in the div
    $("div.main_content p:last-child, div.main_content ul:last-child").addClass("marginLast");

    //call the equalize height function
    equalHeight($("div.main_content_left, div.main_content_right"));

    //equalize heights on resize of browser window
    $(window).resize(function(){
        equalHeight($("div.main_content_left, div.main_content_right"))
    });
});	
//begin equalize div column heights
function equalHeight(group) {
    tallest = 0;
    group.each(function() {
        thisHeight = $(this).height();
        if(thisHeight > tallest) {
            tallest = thisHeight;
        }
    });
    group.height(tallest);
}
//end equalize columns