backup from internal boot drive to external firewire drive?

I've posted this in a mac community, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to post here as well.

I've looked at versiontracker and macupdate, but I can't find what I need. My internal drive is failing (the scary chugging noises are making me nervous) and I want to back the entire drive up to one of my externals. The last time I tried this, on my own, without software (stupid me), I lost all of my iTunes library and *all* of the mail I was keeping in the Mail program (literally a thousand emails), and many many preferences in various programs.

Can anyone suggest a method or freeware or cheap shareware for me?

randomness

Dogs can smell breast, lung, and bladder cancer, and this cat can sense when human death is imminent.

In conclusion: Pets. Nature's little hourglasses.

And now for something completely different: Potty poll! I have heard many a time that reading while, uh, "using the bathroom" is something that only men do. Bushwah, sez I.

[Poll #1027878]