Just in time for the holidays:

Users who accessed AAAGTCTGAC also bought:

• BioPet DNA Breed Identification Kit
• The DNA of Relationships
• DNA Nation iPhone Cover Sticker
• DNA by Bijan for Men -- Eau De Toilette

I couldn't resist playing with Amazon's announcement that it's making the Annotated Human Genome Data available via Amazon Web Services.

News sites and genetic blogs have been abuzz over the past few days with the ATLAS Sports Genetics' release of a genetic test to determine kids' athletic ability. ATLAS isn't the first to offer the test, but the company's site trumpets:

Finding any great Olympic champion normally takes years to determine.
What if we knew a part of the answer when we were born?

There are a number of ethical questions raised by that statement and the implications of these tests, which many others have been writing about (e.g., here and here). However, I'd like to raise some concerns about the company's use of genetic information, its privacy policy, and marketing practices.

It all starts with a simple invitation from a friend: "You are invited to join the group Slow Caffeine Metabolizers", date, time, location. You are more likely to receive an invitation if you're one of those who has money and feels as comfortable in evening dress as in jeans and teeshirt. And, if you're "IN".

They call them "spit parties" and the plan is that--sometime in the evening--you will spit into a cotton-filled tube, donating enough of your DNA for a commercial operation to analyze it for single nucleotidepolymorphisms (SNPs). Meanwhile, you are building the sponsoring company's database.