// JavaScript Document
///    TICKER

	var theCharacterTimeout = 50;
	var theStoryTimeout     = 5000;
	var theWidgetOne        = "_";
	var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
	var theWidgetNone       = "";
	var theLeadString       = "";



	// 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;}</style>");
      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 + "</span>";
		}
		// 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;
		}
	}
	//