Image Rotator w/Preview Breaks in IE

Image Rotator w/Preview Breaks in IE

I found a nifty plugin for a gallery:
http://www.sohtanaka.com/web-design/examples/image-rotator/

I implemented it on my site, however when in IE8/7 it breaks. When I click a thumb nail on the right hand side, the image and info will display on the left as it should, however the entire list of thumbs then disappears itself.

I am viewing the site in IE8 on a mac using VM ware, wondering if that has any known issues with displaying jQuery properly as well. Thanks for any help/insight 

Here is the code that is used. Line 20 is where I've been able to isolate where it is being broken.
  1. // JavaScript Document
  2. $(document).ready(function() {   
  3.     //Show Banner
  4.     $(".main_image .desc").show(); //Show Banner
  5.     $(".main_image .block").animate({ opacity: 0.85 }, 1 ); //Set Opacity
  6.     //Click and Hover events for thumbnail list
  7.     $(".image_thumb ul li:first").addClass('active');
  8.     $(".image_thumb ul li").click(function(){
  9.         //Set Variables
  10.         var imgAlt = $(this).find('img').attr("alt"); //Get Alt Tag of Image
  11.         var imgTitle = $(this).find('a').attr("href"); //Get Main Image URL
  12.         var imgDesc = $(this).find('.block').html();     //Get HTML of block
  13.         var imgDescHeight = $(".main_image").find('.block').height();    //Calculate height of block   
  14.        
  15.         if ($(this).is(".active")) {  //If it's already active, then...
  16.             return false; // Don't click through
  17.         } else {
  18.             //Animate the Teaser               
  19.             $(".main_image .block").animate({ opacity: 0, marginBottom: -imgDescHeight }, 250 , function() {
  20.                 $(".main_image .block").html(imgDesc).animate({ opacity: 0.85,    marginBottom: "0" }, 250 );//commenting out this line and it does not break, however none of the info is displayed
  21.                 $(".main_image img").attr({ src: imgTitle , alt: imgAlt});
  22.             });
  23.         }
  24.        
  25.         $(".image_thumb ul li").removeClass('active'); //Remove class of 'active' on all lists
  26.         $(this).addClass('active');  //add class of 'active' on this list only
  27.         return false;
  28.        
  29.     }) .hover(function(){
  30.         $(this).addClass('hover');
  31.         }, function() {
  32.         $(this).removeClass('hover');
  33.     });
  34.            
  35.     //Toggle Teaser
  36.     $("a.collapse").click(function(){
  37.         $(".main_image .block").slideToggle();
  38.         $("a.collapse").toggleClass("show");
  39.     });
  40.    
  41. });//Close Function
Here is the CSS that is used as well:
  1. * {
  2.     margin: 0;
  3.     padding: 0;
  4.     outline: none;
  5. }
  6. img {
  7.     border: none;
  8. }
  9. h1 {
  10.     font: 3em normal;
  11.     color: #fff;
  12.     text-align: center;
  13.     background: url(../../img/9-5/h1_bg.gif) no-repeat;
  14.     text-indent: -99999px;
  15.     margin: 100px 0 10px;
  16. }
  17. .container {
  18.     overflow: hidden;
  19.     width: 980px;
  20.     margin: 0 auto;
  21. }
  22. #main {
  23.     padding: 10px;
  24.     font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
  25. }
  26. a {
  27.     color: #fff;
  28. }
  29. /*--Main Image Preview--*/
  30. .main_image  {
  31.     width: 659px;
  32.     height: 450px;
  33.     float: left;
  34.     background: #333;
  35.     position: relative;
  36.     overflow: hidden; /*--Overflow hidden allows the description to toggle/tuck away as it slides down--*/
  37.     color: #fff;
  38. }
  39. .main_image h2 {
  40.     font-size: 2em;
  41.     font-weight: normal;
  42.     margin: 0 ;
  43.     padding: 10px 10px 0;
  44. }
  45. .main_image p {
  46.     font-size: 12px;
  47.     line-height: 1.6em;
  48.     padding: 10px;
  49.     margin: 0;
  50. }
  51. .block small { /*--We'll be using this same style on our thumbnail list--*/
  52.     padding: 0;
  53.     font-size: 1em;
  54. /*    padding: 0 0 0 20px;
  55.     background: url(icon_calendar.gif) no-repeat 0 center;
  56. */}
  57. .main_image .block small {margin-left: 10px;}
  58. .main_image .desc{
  59.     position: absolute;
  60.     bottom: 0;
  61.     left: 0; /*--Stick the desc class to the bottom of our main image container--*/
  62.     width: 100%;
  63.     display: none; /*--Hide description by default, if js is enabled, we will show this--*/
  64. }
  65. .main_image .block{
  66.     width: 100%;
  67.     background: #111;
  68.     border-top: 1px solid #000;
  69. }
  70. .main_image a.collapse { /*--This is our hide/show tab--*/
  71.     background: url(../../img/9-5/example_9-5_btn_collapse.png) no-repeat left top;
  72.     height: 27px;
  73.     width: 93px;
  74.     text-indent: -99999px;
  75.     position: absolute;
  76.     top: -27px;
  77.     right: 20px;
  78. }
  79. .main_image a.show {background-position: left bottom;}
  80. /*
  81. image thumb
  82. */
  83. .image_thumb  {
  84.     float: left;
  85.     width: 320px;
  86.     background: #444;
  87.     border-right: 1px solid #000;
  88.     border-top: 1px solid #111;
  89.     height:450px;
  90.     overflow:auto;
  91.     overflow-x:hidden;
  92.     font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
  93. }
  94. .image_thumb img {
  95.     padding: 15px 5px 5px 10px;
  96.     float: left;
  97. }
  98. .image_thumb ul {
  99.     margin: 0;
  100.     padding: 0;
  101.     list-style: none;
  102. }
  103. .image_thumb ul li{
  104.     margin: 0;
  105.     background: #444 url(../../img/9-5/example_9-5_link.gif) no-repeat;
  106.     width: 320px;
  107.     height:85px;
  108.     float: left;
  109.     color:#555
  110. }    
  111. .image_thumb ul li.hover { /*--Hover State--*/
  112.     background: #444 url(../../img/9-5/example_9-5_hover.gif) no-repeat;
  113.     cursor: pointer;
  114.     color:#666   
  115. }
  116. .image_thumb ul li.active { /*--Active State--*/
  117.     background: #444 url(../../img/9-5/example_9-5_active.gif) no-repeat;
  118.     cursor: default;
  119.     color:#000
  120. }
  121. html .image_thumb ul li h2 {
  122.     font-size: 1.5em;
  123.     margin: 10px 0 0;
  124.     padding: 0;
  125. }
  126. .image_thumb ul li .block {
  127.     float: left;
  128.     margin-left: 10px;
  129.     padding: 0;
  130.     width: 235px;
  131. }
  132. .image_thumb ul li p{display: none;}/*--Hide the description on the list items--*/
  133. .viewSite
  134. {
  135.     font-size:9px;   
  136. }