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;
    }
}