RANDR + Gnome with Different Screen Resolutions

[nick_at_seakr]

I'm using the "Configure Display Settings" applet in Gnome to manage randr to use multiple displays. I have my laptop, which runs at 1280 x 800, and a 22-inch monitor, which runs at 1680 x 1050. This works very well, except for two things:
- Even though the resolution is correct on the laptop display, the gnome desktop itself is too large for the display - it continues off the bottom of the display. Now, I try to keep my desktop pretty clean, but occasionally I have icons or documents on it, and sometimes they end up invisible off the end of the display. Any hints on getting this to work properly (without having to lower the resolution on the 22-inch monitor)?
- My external monitor "flickers" with certain events. The most notable is when I go to burn a CD using the built-in Gnome CD burning application. As soon as the application starts to burn the CD, my external monitor turns off for 5 or 10 seconds, then comes back. The other time that I've just found this happens is when running Wine - I was ssh'ing to a remote computer, forwarding display information back to my laptop, and every time I launch wine my external display flicks off for 5 or so seconds, then comes back. Ideas?? I'm stumped...

Thanks - Nick