var activationTimer = setInterval('flipNews()', 2000);
var playNews = true;

function playNewsNow() {
	playNews = true;
	flipNews();
}

function flipPlayNews () {
	if (playNews) {
		playNews = false;
	} else {
		playNews = true;
	}
}

function flipNews() {
	if (playNews) {
		for (i=1; i <= totalNews; i++) {
			var myObj = document.getElementById('news'+i);
			if (myObj.style.display == 'block') {
				myObj.style.display = 'none';
				if (i == totalNews) {
					// have reached the end, start back at the beginning
					document.getElementById('news1').style.display = 'block';
				//	var newNewsNumber = document.createElement('span');
				//		newNewsNumber.setAttribute('id','newsNumber');
				//		newNewsNumber.appendChild(document.createTextNode(1));
				//	var oldNewsNumber = document.getElementById('newsNumber');
				//	oldNewsNumber.parentNode.replaceChild(newNewsNumber,oldNewsNumber);
				} else {
					i++;
					document.getElementById('news'+i).style.display = 'block';
				//	var newNewsNumber = document.createElement('span');
				//		newNewsNumber.setAttribute('id','newsNumber');
				//		newNewsNumber.appendChild(document.createTextNode(i));
				//	var oldNewsNumber = document.getElementById('newsNumber');
				//	oldNewsNumber.parentNode.replaceChild(newNewsNumber,oldNewsNumber);
				}
			}
		}
	}
}