Q:

Magento Paypal Error - persistent Sandbox URL in payment_paypal_direct.log

HELP! - I am trying to take a PayPal Payments Pro (Magento 1.8.1) API live and I am getting the following error:
exception 'Exception' with message 'PayPal NVP CURL connection error #35: 
error:14077410:SSL routines:SSL23_GET_SERVER_HELLO:sslv3 alert handshake failure' 
in <my_root_folders>/app/code/core/Mage/Paypal/Model/Api/Nvp.php:986

In the payment_paypal_direct.log file I have the following for every error:
2014-11-08T02:12:36+00:00 DEBUG (7): Array
(
    [url] => https://api-3t.sandbox.paypal.com/nvp
    [DoDirectPayment] => Array
        (

No matter how I set the various flags for sandbox mode, my errors all show the sandbox URL for the API. I have even double checked the paypal/wpp/sandbox_flag in the core_config table in the db and it is flipping from 0 to 1 when I change the configuration in Magento's admin. 
Has anyone experienced this persistent sandbox URL? 

Sandbox Mode = OFF
SSL Verification = Disabled  (have tried it enabled too, no difference)
all caching is disabled (I clear cache often just in case) 
I reindex entire site frequently

A:

There were two issues effecting my website:

Our server was not configured in response to the POODLE vulnerability and PayPal was rejecting the server connection.
Sandbox setting was enabled for a child "Configuration Scope" and edits made to the "Default Config" (the parent/master config) were being overridden. 

Hopefully this may help someone.

