// Ticker startup
function startTicker(){
	// Define run time values
	theCurrentStory = -1;
	theCurrentLength = 0;
	// Locate base objects
	if (document.getElementById) {	
		theAnchorObject = document.getElementById("tickerAnchor");
		runTheTicker(); 	
	} else {
		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(/"/g,'"');		
		if (theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory]!=''){
			theAnchorObject.href = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
		}
		thePrefix = "<span class=\"tick_leading\">" + 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;
	}
}
var theCharacterTimeout = 30;
var theStoryTimeout = 5000;
var theWidgetOne = "_";
var theWidgetTwo = "-";
var theWidgetNone = "";
var theLeadString = "";
var theItemCount = theSummaries.length;
startTicker();