java in chrome

hello,

so ive got a java image slider running on my website and its all lovely except it breaks in chrome...
works fine in safari, ff, ie...

PHP Code:

---


$(document).ready(function() {
    //Display paging
    $(".paging").show();
    $(".paging a:first").addClass("active");
    
    var imageWidth = $(".viewer").width();
    var imageSum = $(".slideimages img").size();
    var imageSlideWidth = imageWidth * imageSum;
    
    $(".slideimages").css({'width' : imageSlideWidth});
    
    //Paging  and Slider Function
    rotate = function(){
    var triggerID = $active.attr("rel") - 1;
    var slideimagesPosition = triggerID * imageWidth;

    $(".paging a").removeClass('active');
    $active.addClass('active');

    //Slider Animation
    $(".slideimages").animate({
        left: -slideimagesPosition
    }, 500 );

    }; 
    
    ////Rotation and Time
    rotateSwitch = function(){
        play = setInterval(function(){ 
            $active = $('.paging a.active').next(); 
            if ( $active.length === 0) { //When the end is reached
                $active = $('.paging a:first');
            }
            rotate();
        }, 4000); // 4 seconds
    };
    rotateSwitch();
    
    ////Click
    $(".paging a").click(function() {
        $active = $(this); 
        clearInterval(play);
        rotate();
        rotateSwitch();
        return false;
    });
    
    ////Hover
/*     $(".slideimages a").hover(function() {
        clearInterval(play);
    }, function() {
        rotateSwitch();
    });     */
    
}); 


---

in chrome the first frame holds for double time, the auto scroll stops intermittently and, worst of all, if left
open in another tab for a while, the scroll time reduces to a tiny fraction, making it all bug out...

any ideas?

thanks!