var headline_count;
var headline_interval;
var old_headline = 0;
var current_headline = 0;

$(document).ready(function() {
    headline_count = $("dl.newslist > div.item").size();
    $("div.item:eq(" + current_headline + ")").css('top', '0px');

    headline_interval = setInterval(headline_rotate, 5000); //time in milliseconds
    $('#dl.newslist').hover(function() {
        clearInterval(headline_interval);
    }, function() {
        headline_interval = setInterval(headline_rotate, 5000); //time in milliseconds
        headline_rotate();
    });
});

function headline_rotate() {
    current_headline = (old_headline + 1) % headline_count; //remainder will always equal old_headline until it reaches headline_count - at which point it becomes zero. clock arithmetic
    $("dl.newslist > div.item:eq(" + old_headline + ")").animate({ top: -260 }, "slow", function() {
        $(this).css('top', '260px');
    });
    $("dl.newslist > div.item:eq(" + current_headline + ")").show().animate({ top: 0 }, "slow");
    old_headline = current_headline;
}