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

// Ticker startup
function startTicker()
{
	// Define run time values
	theCurrentStory     = -1;
	theCurrentLength    = 0;
	// Locate base objects
	if (document.getElementById) {	
		    theAnchorObject     = document.getElementById("hottext");
			runTheTicker();   	
		 }
}
// Ticker main run loop
function runTheTicker()
{
	var myTimeout;  
	// Go for the next story data block
	if(theCurrentLength == 0)
	{
		theCurrentStory++;
		theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % (theSummaries.length);
		theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory].replace(/"/g,'"');
		theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
		theAnchorObject.href = theTargetLink;
	}
	// Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
	theStartPosition = 0;
	if (theCurrentLength > theMaxLength)
	{
		theStartPosition = theCurrentLength - theMaxLength;
	}
	theAnchorObject.innerHTML = theStorySummary.substring(theStartPosition,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;
	}
}

var theCharacterTimeout = 100;
var theStoryTimeout     = 6000;
var theWidgetOne        = "_";
var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
var theWidgetNone       = "";
var theMaxLength		= 50;