One major issue is that the News Ticker comes from outside the forum's server...
So when the Ticker's site is down, that slows the forum up because it's trying so long to connect...This has happened on more than one occasion...Like now...
Because of this, I'm suspending the News Ticker...I'll put it back in if there's a major outcry, but keep in mind these times when it actually hurts the forum more than it helps...