Well after a week on Firefox I decided I couldn't take it anymore and I would track down the issues I was having with safari/flash.

Turns out I just had to create a text file called mms.cfg and write:
OverrideGPUValidation=1
then saved the file to

Library/ Application Support/Macromedia

and all is well

Live.twit.tv and hulu are working, so I am back on safari again. Found the solution on an ubuntu forum. I'd recommend trying this to all who are having flash issues, regardless of browser.

I've only watched one full episode of colbert so far but it played great at high res, so we'll see what happens.

Here are the links.
ubuntu
adobe

to get rid of top sites just change "open new window/tab" with blank page

@detorn
Thanks guys ... that did the trick.

@AEH; you are welcome, but I'm not sure that the Top Sites engine isn't still fetching that stuff in the background; it just doesn't show any more.

I would use safari more often but there are a few things I have to have...

Delicious book marks

firebug

mouse gestures

web developer

pop up blocker (one with advanced settings)

Does Safari have any of these add-ons available?

One thing I found that helped was to check my Font Book & resolve duplicates. Give that a try.

Understand. Guess I am a paranoid curmudgeon when it comes to privacy and I don't like cookies hitting my machine from all over the net... places I've never been. Have Safari set to only accept cookies from sites I navigate too, but too many links or something just keep dumping cookies on me.

My solution is I use Safari for financial stuff where the banks/credit card companies require cookies or they think you're a hacker and hit you with security questions... one bank as many as 5 questions if they don't find their cookie. For everything else, it is Chrome with NO cookies and dump the session from history when I'm done. Working out well so far and Chrome is continuing to convince me it is slightly faster.

Couple three times a year I erase unused space on the HD, too. Overkill, I know, as I really have nothing to hide except maybe the fact that I am paranoid.:)

In this day and age, Internet Paranoia is healthy.

I've had Safari crash on me several times lately--actually just refusing to start and needing a force quit. I could trick it into starting by clicking on a webloc, but starting from the dock it froze. My solution was to ditch the p-list and reset my toolbar prefs. Facebook has been no problem. My biggest complaint is no ftp access.
Leonard (OS 10.5.8, Safari 4.0.4)

i fnally started using chrome. so much better than safari.


i'm also a newish mac user. safari is like the IE of browsers.