if (document.images) {
	//just so they load before the page appears
   var header_image = new Image();
   header_image.src = "images/12stars.jpg";   
   var footer_image = new Image();
   header_image.src = "images/footer.jpg"; 
   var background_image = new Image();
   background_image.src = "images/background_gradient.jpg";
   var between_image = new Image();
   between_image.src = "images/between_gradient.jpg";
   var between_image = new Image();
   between_image.src = "images/between_gradient_short.jpg";

}