Ubuntu :: Notify-OSD Not Appearing?

No matter what I try, notifications do not appear. The notify-osd program is running (if I check ps) and nothing ever reports an error. I just don't see it, or hear it (does it make a sound?)

I think this might be because of my dual screen setup. I have two screens set up, with the screen on the right lower than the screen on the left so that they match up in real life.

This leaves a dead space above the right hand screen, perhaps its appearing in there? But I have already used notification-preferences to move it to the left (does that even work?) and still nothing. What's up? I rely on notifications to tell me that something's up, since the new "notification area" plugin does not flash and is thus utterly useless on this large screen display (design failure)