"I just get compilation errors and random messages about syntax errors. Why?"

They aren't random at all. Read them. They will tell you where the problem lies.

You probably want to add code after a statement instead of in the middle as you said you did: "If I try and put this code... In after this statement in the CGI that I described above... I just get compilation errors and random messages about syntax errors."

You probably also want to terminate your statements with semicolons instead of not terminating them at all or doing so with commas.

$today = 'somedate';            # was: $today = 'somedate'
# snip 8<
$db = new Win32::ODBC("$DSN");  # was: $db = new Win32::ODBC("$DSN"),
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updated a few times within the first several minutes after posting since i seemed to miss a few things.