function startSlides() {

    initTallSections();
    initShortSlider();
}

/* - SHORT SPONSOR SECTION SLIDER - */ //sponsorContainer
var SHORT_SECTION_HEIGHT = 150;
//var SHORT_SECTION_WIDTH = 234;
var totalSlides;
var slidePosition;

function initShortSlider() {

    jQuery('div#sponsorContainer div.sponsorSlider').append(
         jQuery('div#sponsorContainer div.sponsorSlider img').first().clone()
    );

    setShortItemCount(jQuery('div#sponsorContainer div.sponsorSlider img.slideAsset').length);

    jQuery('div.sponsorSlider').attr('style','height:'+(SHORT_SECTION_HEIGHT*totalSlides)+'px;');
    //jQuery('div.sponsorSlider').attr('style','width:'+(SHORT_SECTION_WIDTH*totalSlides)+'px;');

    setInterval ( "slideShorts()", 3000 );
    //alert('count:'+ totalSlides +'\nheight:'+SHORT_SECTION_HEIGHT*totalSlides);
}   
function slideShorts() {
    var nextSlide = getNewPosition();
    jQuery('div.sponsorSlider').animate({top: ((nextSlide*-SHORT_SECTION_HEIGHT)-150)});
    jQuery('div#sponsorContainer a#sponsorLink').attr('href',jQuery('div#sponsorContainer div.sponsorSlider a#ad'+ nextSlide).attr('href'));
    //jQuery('div.sponsorSlider').animate({left: ((nextSlide*-SHORT_SECTION_WIDTH)-233)}); 
    //alert('SLIDE SHORTS:'+ nextSlide +'\nNew pos: '+ nextSlide*-SHORT_SECTION_HEIGHT);
}
function setShortItemCount(value) {
    totalSlides = value;
    slidePosition = 0;
}
function getNewPosition() {
    slidePosition++;
    if(slidePosition == totalSlides-1) {
        slidePosition = 0;
    }
    return slidePosition;
}
//function jumpToFirst() {
    //alert('CALLBACK!' );
    //jQuery('div.sponsorSlider').attr('style','height:'+(SHORT_SECTION_HEIGHT*totalSlides)+'px;');
//}
/* - TALL SECTION SLIDER - */
var TALL_SLIDE_ITEM_WIDTH = 234;
function initTallSections() {

    var itemCountLeft =   jQuery('div.mainContainer div.bodyContainer div.sectionalContainer div#left div.sectionFeatureContainer div.slideContainer div.sectionalFeature').length;
    var itemCountCentre = jQuery('div.mainContainer div.bodyContainer div.sectionalContainer div#centre div.sectionFeatureContainer div.slideContainer div.sectionalFeature').length;
    var itemCountRight =  jQuery('div.mainContainer div.bodyContainer div.sectionalContainer div#right div.sectionFeatureContainer div.slideContainer div.sectionalFeature').length;

    var leftContainerWidth = TALL_SLIDE_ITEM_WIDTH * itemCountLeft;
    var centreContainerWidth = TALL_SLIDE_ITEM_WIDTH * itemCountCentre;
    var rightContainerWidth = TALL_SLIDE_ITEM_WIDTH * itemCountRight;

    jQuery('div#left div.sectionFeatureContainer div.slideContainer').attr('style','width:'+leftContainerWidth+'px;');
    jQuery('div#centre div.sectionFeatureContainer div.slideContainer').attr('style','width:'+centreContainerWidth+'px;');
    jQuery('div#right div.sectionFeatureContainer div.slideContainer').attr('style','width:'+rightContainerWidth+'px;');

    createTallSectionControls(itemCountLeft, 'div#leftControls', 'div#left div.sectionFeatureContainer .slideContainer');
    createTallSectionControls(itemCountCentre, 'div#centreControls', 'div#centre div.sectionFeatureContainer .slideContainer');
    createTallSectionControls(itemCountRight, 'div#rightControls', 'div#right div.sectionFeatureContainer .slideContainer');

    //alert('L: '+ itemCountLeft +' - w: '+ leftContainerWidth +'\nC: '+ itemCountCentre +' - w: '+ centreContainerWidth +'\nR: '+ itemCountRight +' - w: '+ rightContainerWidth);
}
function createTallSectionControls(itemCount, controlContainer, contentContainer) {
    if(itemCount > 1) {
        for(i = 0; i < itemCount; i++) {
            jQuery(controlContainer).append('<a class="dotControl" href="null" id="slide_'+ i +'">.</a>');
        }
        slide_index=0;
        jQuery(controlContainer +' > a').each(function() {

                jQuery(this).attr('id','slide_'+slide_index).click(function(e) {
                        e.preventDefault();
                        toggleElement(jQuery(this), controlContainer);
                        var page_id=jQuery(this).attr('id').replace('slide_','');
                        jQuery(contentContainer).animate({left:page_id*-TALL_SLIDE_ITEM_WIDTH});
                });
                slide_index+=1;
        });
        jQuery(controlContainer+' > a').first().click();
    }
}
function toggleElement(selfRef, sectionStr) {
        //alert('section:'+sectionStr +'\nself:'+ selfRef +'\ncombo'+ sectionStr+' '+selfRef);
	jQuery(sectionStr +' > a').each(function(){
           jQuery(this).attr('class','dotControl');
        });
        jQuery(selfRef).attr('class','dotControlSelected');
}