Tech question: External Hard Drive Enclosure

i have this old laptop (Gateway W730-K8X) that works okay except for the screen lights not working. It's too old to be worth a lot of work and I already have a new laptop. What I want to do is take the hard drive and put it into an enclosure to give me an external hard drive for extra storage. But since I have no experience with computer repair what so ever I have two questions.

1: What enclosure should I get?
2: Should I take it to a computer repair place and have them to the work since I don't know what anything is, don't have computer savvy friends nearby and don't have the space to work on this?
2a: Should I take it to a big name place like Best Buy or could I just take it to a more local repair place?

Internet Search Engine Help

Ever since yesterday evening/this morning I haven't been able to use online search eniginges such as google, bing or yahoo. I first noticed it because I have google set as my home page and when I would click the tabs at the top for news/mail/images, I just get the google main page with a different address. Tried to search for something, same redirect. Went into internet explorer, nope, google not working. Nor Yahoo, nor bing. Now normally if I was having computer issues I would search for the solution myself, but obviously that's not really an option. Argh! Heck, I even tried using my phone to look for stuff but that got me nowhere. Double Argh!

Operating system: Windows 7
Security: Webroot
Main browser: Google Chrome

Can someone give me some help? Or heck, even google this problem for me since I can't myself? Pleeeeeeaaaaase?

Free Site Hosting/making

Basically I need advise on the best place to go for hosting a website for free. I want to put my portfolio on line in a way that I can make it look more professional and can easily put in my resume. It's been years since I've dabbled in website making so I don't know what the options for hosting are anymore. yeah, I could just Google "free website hosting" but the first option isn't necessarily the best all the time.

Rugrats

I've been watching through the old Rugrats cartoon on netflix (I have a big knitting project and needed something to watch that wasn't too enthralling.) It's been fun to notice little mistakes, inconsistencies, and other little fun stuff. Two things made me start this thread.
1. I don't think it's ever really mentioned but I think the show takes place in California. Maybe it's just because I lived there from age four through third grade and I associate it with the place, but there's other details.

2. Daleks!
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/Draange/rugratdaleks.jpg)
This is just the first episode of the second season. Same episode part also features a time machine for kids. I should actually finish this and see what else I notice....

Anyone else have fond memories of watching this show? A lot of it is on netflix now.

TSA up close and personal

Pretty sure that there's no other topic on this (if there is I must be particularly oblivious)

TSA has ramped up "security" and America is is in a bit of an uproar. I don't know where to even begin so where do you all stand on this?
Personally I'm wishing that Amtrak had another line going through the midwest.

Mods: This might end up needing to be moved.