If that open failed, how would S_Shrum be any more enlightened? :)

Perhaps something more along the lines of...

open(LOG, ">>/usr/local/cgi-logs/mycgi-log")
  or do {
    my $error = "Unable to open mycgi-log: $!\n";
    print "Content-Type: text/plain\n\n", $error; # to the screen
    die $error;                                   # & the logs
  };
[download]

...until you're sure that isn't going to kill the script, too (keeping in mind that you may reveal your log path to any visitors).

    --k.