// 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();
    theAnchorObject.innerHTML = 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;
    }
}