Don't know why, but you might try this jQuery plugin that attempts to use browser-native (CSS3) animation for certain transitions (including opacity).
No need to use float values for opacity, it seems rather smooth in Safari 5 on Mac, I have colored your boxes to demonstrate, look at: http://jsfiddle.net/Gkfzd/1/. Hope it helps!
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.