function slideSwitch() {
    var $activel = $('#slideshowl IMG.active');
	var $activec = $('#slideshowc IMG.active');
	var $activer = $('#slideshowr IMG.active');

    if ( $activel.length == 0 ) $activel = $('#slideshowl IMG:last');
	if ( $activec.length == 0 ) $activec = $('#slideshowc IMG:last');
	if ( $activer.length == 0 ) $activer = $('#slideshowr IMG:last');

    // use this to pull the images in the order they appear in the markup
    var $nextl =  $activel.next().length ? $activel.next()
        : $('#slideshowl IMG:first');
	
	var $nextc =  $activec.next().length ? $activec.next()
        : $('#slideshowc IMG:first');
	
	var $nextr =  $activer.next().length ? $activer.next()
        : $('#slideshowr IMG:first');

    // uncomment the 3 lines below to pull the images in random order
    
    // var $sibs  = $active.siblings();
    // var rndNum = Math.floor(Math.random() * $sibs.length );
    // var $next  = $( $sibs[ rndNum ] );


    $activel.addClass('last-active');
	$activel.addClass('last-active');
	$activer.addClass('last-active');

    $nextl.css({opacity: 0.0})
        .addClass('active')
        .animate({opacity: 1.0}, 1000, function() {
			var $this = $(this);
            $activel.removeClass('active last-active');
        });


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


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

}