[jQuery] problem or unable to understand html(val) & empty() function

hi,

I have something like this ..

<p id="similar_employees">

                                Theare are 2 similar employee(s).
                                <ul>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl</li>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl</li>

                                </ul>

                jquery
</p>

when I execute

$('[EMAIL PROTECTED]').html(data);

where the data is equal to

*** There are 2 similar employee(s).
                                <ul>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl ***</li>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl ***</li>

                                </ul>

I am expecting the whole content inside the <p id="similar_employees">
will be replace with the value inside the data. but the result is only
the sentence "There are 2 similar employees(s)." are replace and the
rest where appended. it looks like this

<p id="similar_employees">

                                *** Theare are 2 similar employee(s).
                                <ul>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl ***</li>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl ***</li>

                                </ul>

                                <ul>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl ***</li>

                                        <li>Bondoc Sheryl ***</li>

                                </ul>

                jquery
</p>

Then I try ... $('[EMAIL PROTECTED]').empty() on the original
content, the result is only the "There are 2 similar employee(s)"
where remove and the rest remain...


Could someone point me where did I get wrong or Is there a known bug?

Thanks
james