Ok, my host tech changes perms to 777, and everything works now. They said this:
the situation on those files is strange. It might be do to an automated security script on our end. In some versions of serendipity there was a vulerability in in that config file.

What should the permissions be? I ...

How did the permissions get changed in the first place?

I'm not sure if I did it or not. I was changing permissions earlier today in a totally different folder (a different project), but I know I didn't change anything in either of my blog folders.

I'll contact tech support and have them try to ...

dude... I'm on a roll tonight!

Ok, my path was wrong - fixed it and I get this now:

Warning: chmod(): Operation not permitted in /home3/neotim/neotim-www/blog/fixperm.php on line 2

Here's the fixperm file:
<?php
chmod('/home3/neotim/neotim-www/blog/serendipity_config_local.inc.php', 0777 ...

I finally got the fixperm thing to at least run... but this is what I get: Any suggestions?

Ok, I did a search about this error and read a number of solutions, none of which work for me.

I have two blogs on the same server. And both of them are all of a sudden giving me this error now. The serendipity_config_local.inc.php file is showing permissions of 700, and I'm unable to download a ...