var charTimeout = 30;
	var itemTimeout = 4000;
	var theWidgetOne = "_";
	var theWidgetTwo = "-";
	var theWidgetNone = "";

	function startTicker() {
		currentItem = -1;
		currentLength = 0;

		if (document.getElementById) {	
			ticker = document.getElementById("newsticker");
			runTheTicker();   	
		}
		else {
			document.write("<style type=\"text/css\">.newsticker{display:none;}</style>");
			return true;
		}
	}
	function runTheTicker() {
		var myTimeout;  

		if (currentLength == 0) {
			currentItem++;
			currentItem = currentItem % itemCount;
					
			itemTitle = items[currentItem][0].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');		
			//theTargetLink = items[currentItem][1];
			//ticker.href = theTargetLink;
		}
		
		if (itemTitle.charAt(currentLength) == '<') {
			currentLength = itemTitle.indexOf('>', currentLength);
		}
		
		ticker.innerHTML =  itemTitle.substring(0, currentLength)/* + whatWidget()*/;
		
		if (currentLength !=  itemTitle.length) {
			currentLength++;
			nextTimeout = charTimeout;
		}
		else {
			currentLength = 0;
			nextTimeout = itemTimeout;
		}
		
		setTimeout("runTheTicker()", nextTimeout);
	}

	function whatWidget() {
		if (currentLength == itemTitle.length)
			return theWidgetNone;
		if ((currentLength % 2) == 1)
			return theWidgetOne;
		else
			return theWidgetTwo;
	}