// Control parameters
   var theCharacterTimeout = 50;
   var theStoryTimeout     = 5000;
   var theWidgetOne        = "_";
   var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
   var theWidgetNone       = "";
    var theItemCount = theSummaries.length;
   var NS6=(document.getElementById && !document.all) ? true : false;
   
// Ticker startup

function startTicker()
{

   // Define run time values
   theCurrentStory     = -1;
   theCurrentLength    = 0;
   // Locate base objects
   if (document.getElementById) {   
         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];
      theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
   }
   
   var textTitle = theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
   
   if (theTargetLink ) {
   
      if (NS6) {
   document.getElementById("theTicker").innerHTML  = '<a href="'+ theTargetLink +'" target="_top" class="titnew"><font color=#000000>'+textTitle+'</a>';
             }
      else {
   document.all.theTicker.innerHTML  = '<font color=#000000><a href="'+ theTargetLink +'" target="_top" class="titnew"><font color=#000000>'+textTitle+'</a>';
            }
                  }    
   else {
      if (NS6) {
   document.getElementById("theTicker").innerHTML = '<span class="tickertext"><font color=#000000>'+textTitle+'</span>';
            }
      else {
   document.all.theTicker.innerHTML  = '<span class="tickertext"><font color=#000000>'+textTitle+'</span>';
            }
   }
   
   // 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();