Snap is pretty, n'est-ce pas?
I've started using a clever and attractive little service called Snap Preview Anywhere. When you hover your pointer over an external link, up pops a little balloon showing a thumbnail of the web page it links to. I'm not sure how useful it is, but it's certainly pretty, n'est-ce pas?
If you find it irritating you can disable it - click on the 'options' link in the top right corner of the balloon. Or add a petition to the No. 10 website and ask that nice Mr Blair to outlaw it - I'm sure he'll listen.
Incidentally, try the Snap Image Search!