just to update my progress: i didnt have java installed at all, when i went to java preferences, it advised me to install java. i installed v 1.6, clicked the button referenced earlier "enable applet plug-in..." restarted the browser and have been yet to crash my imac. i even had apple trailers and youtube running in multiple instances on multiple desktops, and have slept and awoken my imac many times.
this seems to have solved it for me.
**redacted - - next video i clicked on froze it**
same error in console everytime:
7/21/11 8:08:49.000 PM kernel: ** Device in slot: SLOT--1 **
7/21/11 8:08:49.000 PM kernel: ** GPU Debug Info Start **
7/21/11 8:08:49.000 PM kernel: 0x00006740
and then a huge string of debug characters