Laptop problems

So lately my Dell laptop (XPS 1530) which is going to be two years old in September has been yelling at me about how I'm going to need a new battery soon. I am skeptical and poor, so I have just been using it plugged in (like I do most of the time anyway). The battery does seem to last a little less longer than usual when it's unplugged. I don't know when I will/need to get a new battery - it's been telling me that "it charges normally but is reaching the end of its usable life" for about a month.

The other thing is my laptop has always been kinda hot. However, lately it is getting hotter faster, and reaching some scary temperatures. It's made some scary whirring noises which I assume are fans going into hyperdrive, and then I shut it off. This has only happened a few times but it is pretty disturbing.

So my question is, do you think the battery problem could be making the heat issue worse? I was considering getting a laptop cooler (borrowed one for a bit from someone and it worked wonders) and I think that might be substantially cheaper than a new battery, so that is a more feasible purchase at this point in time. However if the battery thing is making it worse, then hopefully after I get a new battery my computer would cool down a bit. I should probably get a laptop cooler regardless, but I do not know when I'm going to have to replace my battery.

Firefox and Chrome hanging/freezing

So, a while ago, Firefox started doing something that I have discovered is called "hanging". I surf the web for a while, and then Firefox just stops loading - I click a link, it says "loading..." at the top of the tab, but at the bottom of the page it says "stopped". I have no trouble hitting X to close firefox, but then I try to reopen it and get the "Firefox is still running and not responding" message. I go to Task Manager to Stop Process and this does not work. I have to restart my computer. This didn't use to happen quite as often as I think it does now - I thought it was ZoneAlarm (I am running Windows Vista, unfortunately) but even after I uninstalled the program this is happening...

So I downloaded Chrome to try out because I was curious and because I was frustrated with Firefox. Guess what. Chrome freezes up often, and after I close it, I open Task Manager and for some reason there are like five or six chrome.exe processes. I hit "end process" on like four of them, and then I can reopen Chrome, although sometimes it freezes on reboot too. I've run a virus scan, I've defragmented my computer, I disabled all my plugins in Firefox, I've run spyware programs... I don't know what to do next

I'm running Windows Vista on a Dell XPS M1530 laptop that's a year and a half old.

Music for driving

I'm sure this topic has been done before but either way I think it's time for a new one! Anyway, I'm sick of browsing through random on my mp3 player while driving, so I was going to compile playlists. The thing is, I need suggestions for good driving music. I am sure the gurus of matazone have suggestions

I am going to Ireland!

OK, because I have nothing better to do (maybe I should keep packing...) I want to share my joy and excitement with you. I am going with 17 other girls to Ireland as part of a chorus trip. I'll be there for about 5 days, landing in Dublin and going to several other places. I'm leaving tomorrow! When I come back I will regale you all with photos and stories, but right now I am just getting so excited

...also, happy Passover!

Snow songs!

Right now it is snowing like crazy here - at a rate of 1-2 inches per hour. I live in the New England, so this is not unexpected. I extend my sympathies to those of you who don't have snow! But, I think it would be a great idea to have a playlist for when it snows. I thought of this just on my way home from school so I only have two songs, but please do add! It doesn't have to be about snow or mention snow; it just needs to be the right mood and ambience. The kind of song you can enjoy sitting by the window, watching the snow make a perfect white blanket over the outdoors, and drinking hot cocoa.

Nightwish - Walking in the Air
The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)