@stuff = (

       {"submitted","01/22/08"},
       {"submitted","01/12/08"},
       {"submitted","04/01/09"},
       {"submitted","10/04/08"},
       {"submitted","01/10/09"},
       {"submitted","12/12/09"},
       {"submitted","01/22/09"}, 
       {"submitted","01/12/09"}, 
       {"submitted","12/30/08"}, 
       {"submitted","12/22/08"}, 
       {"submitted","12/15/08"}, 
       {"submitted","01/05/09"}, 
       {"submitted","01/19/09"}, 
       {"submitted","01/21/09"}       
       
       );

@newstuff = sort bydte @stuff;

foreach $pers (@newstuff) {
       print $$pers{submitted}."\n";
       }

sub bydte {
       $$a{submitted} <=> $$b{submitted};
       #$$a{submitted} cmp $$b{submitted};
       }