function preloadButtons() {

    menuAboutUs = new Image(); 
    menuAboutUs.src = "images/menu/about-us.gif";
	
	menuResearch = new Image(); 
    menuResearch.src = "images/menu/research.gif";
		
	menuPolicy = new Image(); 
    menuPolicy.src = "images/menu/policy.gif";

    menuOurResearch = new Image(); 
    menuOurResearch.src = "images/menu/our-research.gif";
	
	menuJobCreation = new Image(); 
    menuJobCreation.src = "images/menu/job-creation.gif";

    menuSbProfiles = new Image(); 
    menuSbProfiles.src = "images/menu/sb-profiles.gif";

    menuNewsEvents = new Image(); 
    menuNewsEvents.src = "images/menu/news-events.gif";
	
	menuMedia = new Image(); 
    menuMedia.src = "images/menu/media.gif";

    menuStateActivity = new Image(); 
    menuStateActivity.src = "images/menu/state-activity.gif";

    menuResources = new Image(); 
    menuResources.src = "images/menu/resources.gif";
	
	menuHCfaq = new Image(); 
    menuHCfaq.src = "images/menu/hc-faq.gif";

	menuEventCalendar = new Image(); 
    menuEventCalendar.src = "images/menu/event-calendar.gif";
	
	menuBlog = new Image(); 
    menuBlog.src = "images/menu/blog.gif";

    // on
    

    menuAboutUsOn = new Image(); 
    menuAboutUsOn.src = "images/menu/about-us-on.gif";
	
	menuResearchOn = new Image(); 
    menuResearchOn.src = "images/menu/research-on.gif";	
	
	menuPolicyOn = new Image(); 
    menuPolicyOn.src = "images/menu/policy-on.gif";

    menuOurResearchOn = new Image(); 
    menuOurResearchOn.src = "images/menu/our-research-on.gif";
	
	menuJobCreationOn = new Image(); 
    menuJobCreationOn.src = "images/menu/job-creation-on.gif";

    menuSbProfilesOn = new Image(); 
    menuSbProfilesOn.src = "images/menu/sb-profiles-on.gif";

    menuNewsEventsOn = new Image(); 
    menuNewsEventsOn.src = "images/menu/news-events-on.gif";
	
	menuMediaOn = new Image(); 
    menuMediaOn.src = "images/menu/media-on.gif";

    menuStateActivityOn = new Image(); 
    menuStateActivityOn.src = "images/menu/state-activity-on.gif";


    menuResourcesOn = new Image(); 
    menuResourcesOn.src = "images/menu/resources-on.gif";    	
	
	menuHCfaqOn = new Image(); 
    menuHCfaqOn.src = "images/menu/hc-faq-on.gif";
	
	menuEventCalendarOn = new Image(); 
    menuEventCalendarOn.src = "images/menu/event-calendar-on.gif";
	
	menuBlogOn = new Image(); 
    menuBlogOn.src = "images/menu/blog_on.gif";


    /* subs */



    menuOurTeam = new Image(); 

    menuOurTeam.src = "images/menu/our-team.gif";    



    menuContactUs = new Image(); 

    menuContactUs.src = "images/menu/contact-us.gif";    
	
	
	menuResearchHC = new Image(); 

    menuResearchHC.src = "images/menu/research-hc.gif";    
	
	
	menuResearchCE = new Image(); 

    menuResearchCE.src = "images/menu/research-ce.gif";   



    menuEconomicResearch = new Image(); 

    menuEconomicResearch.src = "images/menu/economic-research.gif";    



    menuOpinionResearch = new Image(); 

    menuOpinionResearch.src = "images/menu/opinion-research.gif";    



    menuStatistics = new Image(); 

    menuStatistics.src = "images/menu/statistics.gif";    



    menuInTheNews = new Image(); 

    menuInTheNews.src = "images/menu/in-the-news.gif";    



    menuRelatedNews = new Image(); 

    menuRelatedNews.src = "images/menu/related-news.gif";    



    menuPressRoom = new Image(); 

    menuPressRoom.src = "images/menu/press-room.gif";    



    menuEvents = new Image(); 

    menuEvents.src = "images/menu/events.gif";  



    menuCalifornia = new Image(); 

    menuCalifornia.src = "images/menu/california.gif";    



    menuNewYork = new Image(); 

    menuNewYork.src = "images/menu/new-york.gif";    



    // on



    menuOurTeamOn = new Image(); 

    menuOurTeamOn.src = "images/menu/our-team-on.gif";    



    menuContactUsOn = new Image(); 

    menuContactUsOn.src = "images/menu/contact-us-on.gif";    
	
	
	menuResearchHCOn = new Image(); 

    menuResearchHCOn.src = "images/menu/research-hc-on.gif";    
	
	
	menuResearchCEOn = new Image(); 

    menuResearchCEOn.src = "images/menu/research-ce-on.gif";   



    menuEconomicResearchOn = new Image(); 

    menuEconomicResearchOn.src = "images/menu/economic-research-on.gif";    

    

    menuOpinionResearchOn = new Image(); 

    menuOpinionResearchOn.src = "images/menu/opinion-research-on.gif";    



    menuStatisticsOn = new Image(); 

    menuStatisticsOn.src = "images/menu/statistics-on.gif";       



    menuInTheNewsOn = new Image(); 

    menuInTheNewsOn.src = "images/menu/in-the-news-on.gif";    



    menuRelatedNewsOn = new Image(); 

    menuRelatedNewsOn.src = "images/menu/related-news-on.gif";    



    menuPressRoomOn = new Image(); 

    menuPressRoomOn.src = "images/menu/press-room-on.gif";    



    menuEventsOn = new Image(); 

    menuEventsOn.src = "images/menu/events-on.gif";    



    menuCaliforniaOn = new Image(); 

    menuCaliforniaOn.src = "images/menu/california-on.gif";    



    menuNewYorkOn = new Image(); 

    menuNewYorkOn.src = "images/menu/new-york-on.gif";    





}