On Monday, US researchers revealed that those who have repeated flu infections or repeated flu vaccines may have some protection already against the new pandemic swine flu. Researchers have found evidence that the humane immune system is capable of recognizing bits of the new H1N1 virus that are similar to older, distantly related strains of H1N1.

Alessandro Sette, director of the Center for Infectious Disease at California's La Jolla Institute said:

"What we have found is that the swine flu has similarities to the seasonal flu, which appear to provide some level of pre-existing immunity. This suggests that it could make the disease less severe in the general population than originally feared."

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and may help to explain why many older people are less likely to have severe cases of the disease.

Allison Deckhut-Augustine of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said:

"Adults may have some pre-existing immunity for H1N1."

Deckhut-Augustine noted that this does not mean that older people are protected against infection and stressed that people should still be vaccinated against H1N1.

I guess I’m just stupid. I don’t get it. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson wants to tax garbage to raise $13 million a year. Then he wants to tax non-profits to raise $5 million a year.

But residents already pay taxes to have their garbage picked up. Non-profits don’t any pay taxes. Seems to be a contradiction right there. Don’t you go after those that don’t pay taxes rather than those that do?

But there’s more.

Most Cleveland residents are not doing that well. Many of them you would call low income. Non-profits may be having some money problems but there’s plenty of money there.

Example: The Cleveland Clinic, likely the biggest of non-profits, had $3.4 BILLION in revenues in 2007, latest IRS report available.

Example: University Hospitals had net assets of nearly a billion, $994-million, in 2001, latest I could find.

Example: Cleveland Museum of Art has net assets of $873 million.

Example: Cleveland Foundation – assets of $1.49 billion.

Example: Gund Foundation – Assets of more than a half of billion dollars.

So from these behemoths you’d get $5 million a year but from working and unemployed stiffs you’d get $13 million? And you know the $9.25 garbage monthly fee will soon be $12, then $15 and then more.

The Cleveland Browns not only lost to the Baltimore Ravens at home 16-0 during Monday Night Football, but the game also ended on a very bad note with receiver Josh Cribbs being taken off the field on a stretcher. Fortunately word was given Tuesday morning that Cribbs is alright, but the scare was enough to upset his agent who called the final play of the game "pointless" in their shutout by the Ravens.

Agent J.R. Rickert said in a text:

"I can't even put into words how upset I am at them for leaving him in like that. Fortunately, he's doing well."

Rickert also revealed that Cribbs texted him from the hospital at 3:48am indicating that he was fine. Cribbs had been immobilized on a board and then taken to the hospital by ambulance. Once at the hospital, a series of tests were run, including some to determine whether or not he had suffered a concussion.

The hook-and-ladder play which could have seriously injured the Browns only good player hasn't just been criticized by Rickert. Both a league source as well as Trevor Pryce, a defensive end with the Ravens, have also criticized the play. Catching a 10-yard pass thrown by quarterback Brady Quinn, Cribbs then lateraled to Robert Royal and was drilled with a forearm under the chin by Dwan Edwards.

After the Cleveland Browns loss on national television Monday night, an anonymous source with the NFL Players Association revealed to the press on Tuesday that the NFLPA is trying to set up a meeting with Browns players this week to discuss coach Eric Mangini's practices. Speaking on conditions of anonymity, the source says that the union is looking into what's been going on in Cleveland due to concerns over health and safety.

Two players have been injured during post-pratice drills that Mangini refers to as "opportunity periods." Keith Grennan, a member of the team's practice squad, hurt his knee during one of these drills last week, and rookie running back James Davis was put on the injured reserve last month with a season ending shoulder injury.

The league looked into what happened with Davis and made the determination that the Browns did not violate any NFL policies. In this review, the league looked at videos of the practice session, as well as conducted interviews with players, coaches and team staff.

Last week, however, running back Jamal Lewis commented that he thought Mangini was wearing out his players by overworking the team. However, a day after those comments, Lewis backpedaled and then blamed the media for exaggerating complaints.

While Cleveland Browns fans suffer through another awful year of football, one person in the stands had a pretty good idea. How about Baltimore stealing this team away from us like they did 14 years ago? A man in the dawg pound held up the sign which read "Baltimore Can You Take This Team Too" during the Monday Night Football game. Luckily (or unluckily) he isn't a Washington Redskins fan, where they will kick you out of the game for such public statements.

While the paternity of Michael Jackson's children will probably always be questioned until DNA testing proves definitively that the king of pop is indeed their biological father, Michael's sister says he is the father, and that his son has even inherited his rare skin condition. La Toya Jackson says that his eldest son, Prince Michael, 12, has his father's skin condition.

Jackson was said to have suffered from vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation in patches of skin. This was the explanation given for his drastic change in skin tone over the years - from brown to pale white.

La Toya says:

"Vitiligo is on my father's side and Prince has it, too - on his arms and chest."

Named one of GQ's men of the year, Clint Eastwood joins Barack Obama, Tom Brady, Chris Pine, and three stars of "The Hangover" on five special covers for the December issue, which hits newsstands today. In an interview with the magazine, Eastwood talks politics, love religion, diet and women.

Eastwood's new movie, "Invictus", is the true story of Nelson Mandela and the mostly white South African rugby team that helped bring the country out of apartheid. Speaking of his latest film, Eastwood said:

"The world needs this kind of story nowadays. It's just...everybody's so screwed up. It seems like our country's in a kind of morbid mood, because of the recession or whatever. We're becoming juvenile as a nation. The guys who won World War II and that whole generation have disappeared, and now we have a bunch of teenage twits.

At 79-years-old, Eastwood says he meditates twice a day, avoids saturated fats and does 30 minutes on the ellipitcal machine each morning. He also notes that he used to "find meaning" in chasing girls, but says he is now happily monogamous:

"I never thought I'd get there, but I did. It feels good."

Johnny Depp has now officially risen to the rank of Hollywood's highest paid actor, having finalized an agreement to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow for a guaranteed minimum of $35 million. If the fourth installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series - "On Stranger Tides" proves to be a box office hit, his earnings will be even more. The deal places Depp above other high-earning actors such as Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson, who all command high salaries, but less than Depp's $35 million.

Disney has agreed to the record pay out because other high-profile actors from the franchise including Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom have decided not to return for the next film. Geoffrey Rush will also be returning as Captain Barbossa, and Penelope Cruz is rumored to be lined up for the female lead, although this has not yet been confirmed.

A source also reveals that, "This movie will feature flashbacks to Jack's early life."