Difficulty Sending email from Python

[Ben Fairbank]

The Python Library Reference Section 12.2.13 gives an example of how
to send a simple text message.  When I try that, my program seems to
start and  run OK, my firewall asks for permission for PythonWin to
access the internet, then it  gets to the line        s.connect()
and I get an error message whose last two lines are 

raise SMTPServerDisconnected("Connection unexpectedly closed")
SMTPServerDisconnected: Connection unexpectedly closed

Now, the odd thing is that when I use my newserver (Free Agent
1.21/32) and try to send email in response to an article I have read,
I get the same error message:   Connection unexpectedly closed.  

Obviously the problem is not in Python, but in something in my system.
I would welcome suggestions to help untangle it.  I have a DSL
connection to SBCglobal.net.  I usually get and send my email through
an address at texas.net, not SBCglobal.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Ben Fairbank