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;
    }
}