OT: can't access slashdot.org and freshmeat.net

["Philippe Clérié" <debian@gcal.net>]

This is probably off-topic and I apologize, but I am hoping that the
collective wisdom on this list might shed some light on my problem.

For several weeks now I have been unable to access slashdot.org and
freshmeat.net. The connection either times out or ends up with HTTP
error 500: unknown host. And lynx adds a long message with "... the
server does not have a DNS entry..." But if I do:

~$ host slashdot.org
slashdot.org    A    64.28.67.150

Interestingly, if I try accessing www.slashdot.org instead of just
slashdot.org then the page downloads but without the graphics. Any
link that uses plain slashdot.org does not work. Some links however
get the www and they work. Same thing happens if I use the IP
address instead of the name. The links that work, use the IP number.
(Morphing links? How do they do that?)

On freshmeat.net I get nothing, even if I use the IP address it
still returns Error 500. And

~$ host freshmeat.net
freshmeat.net    A    64.28.67.35

There is more. This looks like it is a system wide problem with my
ISP. It is not limited to my site, and I verified that. Obviously
slashdot and freshmeat are not the problem: I would have heard.
Neither is my DNS since everything else works. Web, E-mail, AIM,
Napster, whatever.

I have alerted my ISP and they never actually warmed up to finding a
solution. I have a feeling they don't know how.

Does anyone have any idea about what might be causing this problem?

Thanks in advance and again I apologize for being off-topic and
long.

Best regards,
Philippe Clérié (philippe[at]gcal.net)