// Ticker startup
function startTicker()
{
   // Define run time values
   theCurrentStory     = -1;
   theCurrentLength    = 0;
   // Locate base objects
   if (document.getElementById) {   
          theAnchorObject     = document.getElementById("tickerAnchor");
         runTheTicker();      
       }
   else {
            document.write("<style>.ticki{display:none;}.ticko{border:0px; padding:0px;}");
            return true;
   }
}
// Ticker main run loop
function runTheTicker()
{
   var myTimeout;  
   // Go for the next story data block
   if(theCurrentLength == 0)
   {
      theCurrentStory++;
      theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
      theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');     
      theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
      theAnchorObject.href = theTargetLink;
      thePrefix        = "<span class=\"tickls\">" + theLeadString + "";
   }
   // Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
   theAnchorObject.innerHTML = thePrefix + 
   theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
   // Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
   if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length)
   {
      theCurrentLength++;
      myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
   }
   else
   {
      theCurrentLength = 0;
      myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
   }
   // Call up the next cycle of the ticker
   setTimeout("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
}
// Widget generator
function whatWidget()
{
   if(theCurrentLength == theStorySummary.length)
   {
      return theWidgetNone;
   }

   if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1)
   {
      return theWidgetOne;
   }
   else
   {
      return theWidgetTwo;
   }
}