Motorola Droid :: Gmail Notification And Lock Screen Timeout

I made the switch from the (surprise) iPhone on the day of release to the Moto Droid. I really do like the phone, but there are 2 consistent quirks that I can't find an answer to after searching Google and many many forums.

1. Lock screen timeout. This one really annoys me for some reason (probably just because I feel like it's a waste of battery life). So I have the screen timeout set for 1 minute, so if I have the phone unlocked, and I don't use it for 1 minute then it locks itself (fine, good). BUT, if I have the phone locked, and I just hit the Home/Lock button on the top of the phone to see the lock screen, WHY does the lock screen stay on for the same amount of time (1 minute) before going off again??? If I don't unlock the phone, I just want that screen to turn off quickly, maybe in 5-10 seconds.

2. Gmail notification. I have 2 gmail accounts (1 for school, 1 personal), and it's the only mail I use or have set up on the phone. All I want to have is a notification of gmail in the taskbar so when I hit the Home/Lock button and see the lock screen, I can tell if I have gmail or not. I DON'T want the LED to blink if I don't check or delete the mail (turning LED gmail notification off). (Having the number of mails would be nice too, either in the taskbar or on the home screen, or optimally, both).