var c:Cookie = new Cookie(”hello”);
var itsThere = c.getValue();
if(itsThere==”there”){
gotoAndPlay(95);
}
else {
var d:Date = new Date();
d.setHours(d.getHours()+3 );
c.setValue(”there”, d );
gotoAndPlay(5);
}

basically, i have a main timeline movie that begins at frame ‘5′, which i want to play once per person per 3hrs. if there is no data for the SO, it sets the time and value and plays the movie from frame 5. if the value is set in the SO, it plays frame 95, the last frame.

thanks much for a great solution, matt.

also this would have helped me:
var c:Cookie = new Cookie(”hello”);
var itsThere = c.getValue();
if(itsThere==”there”){
gotoAndStop(”menu”);
}

and then you set the value later in the timeline with the timestamp (”d”)
c.setValue(”there”, d );