Firefox eats my CPU like I eat ribs

[David Kramer]

Whenever I run Firefox for any length of time, it often will evnetually
take up 80%-105% CPU (as per "top") on my Centrino Duo.  My guess is it
has to do with one of video (or other streaming media) addons, but
that's just a SWAG.  I haven't looked for that correlation, but I've
heard rumors.

Am I the only one, or do others see this?

Is there anything I can do about it?

Is one set of streaming media handlers better than another?

top of my top output:
PID USER      PR  NI  VIRT  RES  SHR S %CPU %MEM
    TIME+  COMMAND

15888 david     20   0  631m 405m  33m S  108 20.1
    292:06.87 /usr/lib/firefox-3.0.7/firefox http://www.linkedin.com

16146 root      20   0  388m 221m  22m S    2 10.9
     83:19.57 /usr/X11R6/bin/X :0 -br -audit 0 -auth
/var/lib/gdm/:0.Xauth -nolisten tcp vt7

16399 david     20   0  137m  43m  13m S    2  2.1
     65:02.53 /usr/bin/compiz.real --ignore-desktop-hints --replace
--loose-binding core ccp

16651 david     20   0  101m  27m  13m S    1  1.4
      0:41.71 gnome-terminal


 3920 root      15  -5     0    0    0 S    1  0.0   0:13.44 [iwl3945]




I also see this happen with gnome-panel, but I know what causes that,
and have already talked about it here.  When running dual displays, when
I launch an app by clicking on the desktop or from the gnome panel bar
on my external monitor this happens.  Launching it from the menu on my
external monitor doesn't cause this.  Ugh.