// 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(/"/g,'"');
		theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
		if(theTargetLink) theAnchorObject.href = theTargetLink;
		if(theTargetLink) theLink = '<a href=\'theTargetLink\' target=\'_blank\'>';
		else theLink = '';
		if(theLink) theLinkEnd = '</a>';
		else theLinkEnd = '';
		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; 
	}
  }