Confession #1:

I'm hooked on YouTube.

I'm a junkie for a video called "Star Wars Gangsta Rap."

I'm addicted to "Wizard Of Oz" parodies and "Lost" bloopers. I also have a jones for "SpongeBob SquarePants" episodes remixed to heavy metal, 1980s spandexed wrestlers smacking skulls, 10-year-old kids exploding Mentos and Diet Coke in their back yards, and Al Pacino as Scarface reading Dr. Seuss.

Once upon a time, the #1 most-watched video in my house was my children's home movies. Now it's a 5-minute parody of "The Shining," starring a cast of marshmallow Peeps instead of Jack Nicholson.

Let's face it: my life would never be the same without YouTube. I am a total, absolute YouTube geek.

Confession #2: I love it!

Before YouTube, I could only imagine my pet cat could learn to sing, rap, or play the electric guitar. Now, I type the words "rapping cat" into a YouTube search engine, and 2,661 videos of rhyming felines with the street-smart skills of Snoop Dogg pop up on my computer.

Luckily for a YouTube junkie like me, I'm not alone.

Everywhere on Earth there are millions of other YouTubers, addicted to this weird, wacky, wondrous video world.

And everywhere I go, people are telling me about their favorite YouTube clips.

So I decided to ask my friends and North County Outlook readers to write in and share a favorite from their own personal "Hall Of Fame" of YouTube videos.

So put down that newspaper, log on, and start watching! Here are 5 of your favorite YouTube clips:



Laura Fletcher, age 58, Marysville

VIDEO: "Talking Cats & Translation"

SYNOPSIS: Two wisecracking cats, translated for humans.

I love YouTube and find myself there more often than I care to admit! Here is my favorite, so far.

The clip consists of these two cats who are quite talkative (in their native tongue). Someone has translated for them and done a voice-over, in human English. It is so funny to see these two cats talking about their relationship like old (human) friends! It's pretty funny, especially if you are a cat person, and only lasts about a minute. I'm pretty sure it's an accurate translation! ;)



Trent Linder, age 23, Arlington

VIDEO: "William Shatner Rocket Man"

SYNOPSIS: Ever wonder what Captain Kirk sounds like murdering an Elton John song?

My sister sent me this clip. It's the actor Bill Shatner singing "Rocket Man" and it is so crazy WILD and so over the top, it will never be topped! Shatner's incredible weirdness was from a 1978 Sci-Fi awards show. "Family Guy" spoofed it, with Stewie singing it and doing that same little hip wiggle. But nothing beats the original. Gotta love Shatner!



Suzanne Fenimore, age 69, Snohomish

VIDEO: "Playing With Balloons"

SYNOPSIS: Cute, cuddly Bock triplets chase, giggle, and scream after a roomful of balloons.

I usually watch YouTube only when someone sends me a link to it. Cat videos are a lot of fun, as they bring back pleasant memories of our long-deceased felines. My favorite videos, though, are of our Goddaughter's triplet boys. They live in Virginia, so I don't know if I'll ever get to meet them in person, but it's great fun to watch them grow. Still pictures are good, but actually being able to watch the boys (17 months old now) walk, babble, play and even cry makes them real to me.



Sky Maynard, age 16, Snohomish

VIDEO: "The Ultimate Showdown Of Ultimate Destiny"

SYNOPSIS: The world's greatest superheroes punch, stab, chainsaw, and kung-fu each other, in a bloody battle to be #1.

My favorite video is "The Ultimate Showdown Of Ultimate Destiny." I mean, who doesn't love childhood cartoon characters beating the #@!$ out of each other? It's a really funny video that has "good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see." You've got Godzilla vs. Batman vs. Chuck Norris vs. Abe Lincoln and even Mr. Rogers, all trying to kill each other in various diabolical ways. And I love who ends up winning the showdown!



Karen Maynard, age 49, Snohomish

VIDEO: "Britains Got Talent - Connie Talbot, age 6, WOWS Simon Cowell"

SYNOPSIS: Teensy Brit contestant sings "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," and melts judge's notoriously-cold heart.

She has no front teeth, but she has an amazing voice. This genuinely sweet girl sings because she likes to sing, and in following her joy, brings joy to us too. "The dreams that you dare to dream really do come true" - it's so precious!

Also check out Connie singing "Ben," "Imagine," and "I Will Always Love You." These songs consistently bring me to tears in the simple hopeful innocence of the lyrics, and in Connie's incredible delivery. Wow!

Have a favorite YouTube video you'd like to share? E-mail me, [email protected]. You might find that "Fonzie jumping the shark" clip you've watched a bazillion times featured in the Outlook!