function ticker(ticker_div) 
        {
            if(!document.getElementById) return;

            var current = document.getElementById(ticker_div);
            
            current.onmouseover = function() { 
                hoverTickerPause();
            }
            
            current.onmouseout = function() { 
                hoverTickerPause();
            }
                    
            var timeOut, startTimeOut;
            var count = 0;
            var fadeLevel = 10;
            var pausedWithControls = false;
            var headlines = document.getElementById(ticker_div).getElementsByTagName('ul');
            show();
        
            function show()
            {
                if ( headlines.length > 0 ) 
                {
                    current.style.display = "block";
                    headlineDisplay(count, "block", 1, 100);
                    startTimeOut = setTimeout(fadeout, 7000);
                }
            }
        
            function fadeout() 
            {
                if (fadeLevel >= 0) 
                {
                    setOpacity(fadeLevel);
                } else {
                    stopTimeouts();
                    headlineDisplay(count, "none", 0, 0);
                    fadeLevel = 10;
                    count++;
                    if(count >= headlines.length) count = 0;
                    show();	
                }
            }
        
            function setOpacity(value) 
            {
                headlines[count].style.opacity = value/10;
                headlines[count].style.filter = 'alpha(opacity=' + value * 10 + ')';
                fadeLevel--;
                timeOut = setTimeout(fadeout, 40);
            }
        
            function headlineDisplay(count, display, opacity, filter) 
            {
                headlines[count].style.display = display;
                headlines[count].style.opacity = opacity;
                headlines[count].style.filter = 'alpha(opacity=' + filter + ')';
            }
        
            function tickerPause(direction) 
            {
                stopTimeouts();
                if(timeOut != false) 
                {
                    timeOut = false;
                    pausedWithControls = true;
                } else if(direction == 0) {
                    timeOut = setTimeout(fadeout, 40);
                    pausedWithControls = false;
                } 
                if(direction == 1 || direction == -1) {
                    show();
                }
                
                headlineDisplay(count, "none", 0, 0);
                fadeLevel = 10;
                count = count + direction;
                if(count >= headlines.length) count = 0;
                else if(count < 0) count = headlines.length-1;
                headlineDisplay(count, "block", 1, 100);
            }
        
            function hoverTickerPause()
            {
                stopTimeouts();
                if(timeOut != false) 
                {
                    timeOut = false;
                    pausedWithControls = false;
                }else if(!pausedWithControls) {
                    timeOut = setTimeout(fadeout, 40);
                }
            }
            
            function stopTimeouts()  
            {
                clearTimeout(timeOut);
                clearTimeout(startTimeOut);
            }
        }