I've run across this a number of times in the past, but it's usually a permissions problem, easily fixed. Not this time.
holtzm@localhost:~$ ls -l .fetchmail -rwx------ 1 holtzm holtzm 365 Nov 26 14:05 .fetchmail Sure looks like it aught to work. It's probably something simple that I'm missing and when someone points it ought I will ram my head into a wall in self-disgust. -- Bob Holtzman "Bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round...