Transmission

Macbook Pro 2.2 / OSX 10.6.2 - slow freeze of death

Startup.
Connect to VPN.
Launch Transmission.
2 Hours later. VPN connection is still up but pages in Safari or Firefox stop loading.
Transmission Freezes.
Browsers Freeze.
VPN Freezes.
Finder Freezes.
Must hold powerbutton to force shut down ...