// 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 style=\"color:#ff0000; font-weight:bold; font-size:20px;\">"+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;
  }
}