var theCharacterTimeout = 20;
	var theStoryTimeout     = 7000;
	var theWidgetOne        = "_";
	var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
	var theWidgetNone       = "";
	var theLeadString       = "LATEST: ";

	var theSummaries = new Array();
	var theSiteLinks = new Array();
    var theItemCount = 0;

// Ticker startup
function startTicker(_theItemCount, _theSummaries, _theSiteLinks)
{

    theSummaries = _theSummaries;
    theSiteLinks = _theSiteLinks;

   //number of items in the ticker
    theItemCount = _theItemCount;

	// Define run time values
	theCurrentStory     = -1;
	theCurrentLength    = 0;
	// Locate base objects
	if (document.getElementById) 
	{
		theAnchorObject = document.getElementById("tickerAnchor");
		runTheTicker();
	}
	else 
	{
		document.write("");
		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];
		theAnchorObject.href = theTargetLink;
		thePrefix 	     = "";
	}
	
	// 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;
	}
}