var theCharacterTimeout = 60;
var theStoryTimeout     = 4000;
var theWidgetOne        = "_";
var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
var theWidgetNone       = "";
var theLeadString       = "";
/*
var theSummaries = new Array();
var theSiteLinks = new Array();
*/
//var theItemCount = 4;

// 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;
  }
}

startTicker();