function selectMe(sElement) {

  var elm = document.getElementsByClassName("gallery_image active");
  for (var i=0; i<elm.length; i++) {
    Element.removeClassName(elm[i],"active");
  }

  var elm = document.getElementsByClassName("gallery_image");
  for (var i=0; i<elm.length; i++) {
  elm[i].style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(opacity=50)";
  elm[i].style.opacity = ".5"
  }

  Element.addClassName(sElement, "active");
     new Effect.Opacity(sElement,
      { duration: 1,
        transition: Effect.Transitions.linear,
        from: 0.5, to: 1.0 });
}

function selectFirstThumb ()
{
  var elm = document.getElementsByClassName("gallery_image");
  Element.addClassName(elm[0], "active");
}

function fade(pic,txt) {

  if ($('main_image_div').style.display=='none') {
    new Effect.Appear('main_image_div',{from:0.1,to:1.0});
    new Effect.Appear('image_caption');
  }
  else
  {
    new Effect.Fade('main_image_div',{
      from:1.0,
      to:0.1,
      afterFinish: function() {
        $('main_image').src = pic;
        // $('image_caption').innerHTML = txt;
        new Effect.Appear('main_image_div');
        new Effect.Appear('image_caption');
      }
    });
    new Effect.Fade('image_caption');
  }
}