I wrote a function to streamline the creation of drop-menus that conform to jQuery UI (a split button with drop-down).  Simple menus based on an array of strings are possible.  As are ajax-driven menus.  And I've allowed the linking of menus -- a sub menu that can update (via ajax) when a choice is made on the primary menu.

enjoy.

This is a working first draft.  It is intended to be used as a form field, but that portion hasn't been completed yet.