Super compact jQuery vertical text carousel plugin, with variable content-based slide latency. < 0.5k minified.

jquery.microcarousel.js

;(function($) {
	$.fn.microcarousel = function(options) {
		var settings = $.extend({
			timer_latency : 40
		}, options);
		
		return this.each(function() {        
			var timer, $wrapper = $(this);				
			
			$wrapper.children().addClass("slide");
			
			timer = setTimeout(switch_slide, $wrapper.find(".slide:eq(0)").text().length * settings.timer_latency);
			
			function switch_slide() {
				$wrapper.find(".slide:eq(0)").animate({"margin-top" : -$wrapper.height()}, function () {
					$(this).css({"margin-top": 0}).appendTo($wrapper);
					clearTimeout(timer);
					timer = setTimeout(switch_slide, $(this).text().length * settings.timer_latency);
				});
			}
	    });
	};
})(jQuery);

jquery.microcarousel.min.js

(function(a){a.fn.microcarousel=function(b){var c=a.extend({timer_latency:40},b);return this.each(function(){var f,e=a(this);e.children().addClass("slide");f=setTimeout(d,e.find(".slide:eq(0)").text().length*c.timer_latency);function d(){e.find(".slide:eq(0)").animate({"margin-top":-e.height()},function(){a(this).css({"margin-top":0}).appendTo(e);clearTimeout(f);f=setTimeout(d,a(this).text().length*c.timer_latency)})}})}})(jQuery);

micro-carousel.html

<ul id="micro-carousel">
	<li>Etiam quis felis iaculis magna vulputate tristique in in justo.</li>
	<li>Curabitur et sapien vel neque aliquet dapibus.</li>
	<li>Nam pretium sodales nisi, ac sagittis diam rhoncus vel.</li>
	<li>Aliquam condimentum lobortis diam, tempor dictum justo fermentum nec.</li>
	<li>Etiam semper iaculis tortor, ut ultrices mi tristique non.</li>
	<li>Maecenas a dolor ac libero fermentum pulvinar sit amet a sem.</li>
</ul>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.microcarousel.js"></script>
<script>
	jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
		$("#micro-carousel").microcarousel();	
	});
</script>

styles.css

*{
	margin: 0;
	padding: 0;
}
#micro-carousel{
	border: 1px solid #ccc;
	height: 200px;
	overflow: hidden;
}
	#micro-carousel li{
		list-style: none;
		height: 200px;
	}