// name - name of the cookie
     // value - value of the cookie
     // [expires] - expiration date of the cookie (defaults to end of current session)
     // [path] - path for which the cookie is valid (defaults to path of calling document)
     // [domain] - domain for which the cookie is valid (defaults to domain of calling document)
     // [secure] - Boolean value indicating if the cookie transmission requires a secure transmission
     // * an argument defaults when it is assigned null as a placeholder
     // * a null placeholder is not required for trailing omitted arguments
     function setCookie(name, value, expires, path, domain, secure) {
       var curCookie = name + "=" + escape(value) +
           ((expires) ? "; expires=" + expires.toGMTString() : "") +
           ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
           ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
           ((secure) ? "; secure" : "");
       document.cookie = curCookie;
     }

     // name - name of the desired cookie
     // * return string containing value of specified cookie or null if cookie does not exist
     function getCookie(name) {
       var dc = document.cookie;
       var prefix = name + "=";
       var begin = dc.indexOf("; " + prefix);
       if (begin == -1) {
         begin = dc.indexOf(prefix);
         if (begin != 0) return null;
       } else
         begin += 2;
       var end = document.cookie.indexOf(";", begin);
       if (end == -1)
         end = dc.length;
       return unescape(dc.substring(begin + prefix.length, end));
     }

     // name - name of the cookie
     // [path] - path of the cookie (must be same as path used to create cookie)
     // [domain] - domain of the cookie (must be same as domain used to create cookie)
     // * path and domain default if assigned null or omitted if no explicit argument proceeds
     function deleteCookie(name, path, domain) {
       if (getCookie(name)) {
         document.cookie = name + "=" + 
         ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
         ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
         "; expires=Thu, 01-Jan-70 00:00:01 GMT";
       }
     }

     // date - any instance of the Date object
     // * hand all instances of the Date object to this function for "repairs"
     function fixDate(date) {
       var base = new Date(0);
       var skew = base.getTime();
       if (skew > 0)
         date.setTime(date.getTime() - skew);
     }

    function cookiemonster(){
	           // create an instance of the Date object
          var now = new Date();
          // fix the bug in Navigator 2.0, Macintosh
          fixDate(now);
          // cookie expires in one year (actually, 365 days)
          // 365 days in a year
          // 24 hours in a day
          // 60 minutes in an hour
          // 60 seconds in a minute
          // 1000 milliseconds in a second
          now.setTime(now.getTime() + 1 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
          var visits = getCookie("refer");
          // if the cookie wasn't found, this is your first visit
          if (!visits) {
            visits = top.document.referrer; // the value for the new cookie
          //  document.write("By the way, this is your first time here.");
          }
          // set the new cookie
          setCookie("refer", visits, now);
   }