Weblogic

Beginning Friday, shoppers at most of Walgreens will be able to buy an over-the-counter genetic test to scan their genes for future detection of such conditions as Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer and diabetes. The test can even be used to forecast genetic disorders of future children, determining the likelihood that they'll become obese or go blind. All that is involved is saliva collection, and total cost will be around $25. The test might be used for pregnancy and testing for all kinds of health reasons.

Critics of the test state that putting genetic testing into untrained hands could lead to unnecessary testing and missed diagnoses. Their concerns include the fact that genetic testing is a complex, difficult and emotionally laden medical process, which requires extensive counseling, contextualization and interpretation.

Question: Is over-the-counter genetic testing a good idea or totally bad -- and would you use it?

The announcement that President Obama will name U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan as the newest U.S. Supreme Court Justice has sparked discussion regarding her qualifications for the position. Although Kagan has experience in all three branches of government, has been dean of Harvard Law School and currently serves as the U.S. Solicitor General, an argument is being made concerning her lack of judicial experience -- although experience has not  been an issue in the past. In fact, William Rehnquist, leading conservative in the history of the Supreme Court, had no prior judicial experience, and no one would question his qualifications for the job.

Question: So, what do you think – does Kagan’s experience qualify her for Supreme Court Justice, or not?

We are changing our tune (no pun intended!) a bit today because we know that sometimes it is just a little hard on the ol' brain cells to constantly solve the world's problems!

Question: What is your favorite song of all time?

The report states that the amount of rain falling in the heaviest downpours has increased approximately 20 percent on average in the past century, and this trend is very likely to continue, with the largest increases in the wettest places. During the past 50 years, the greatest increases in heavy precipitation occurred in the Northeast and the Midwest. Dramatic increases are seen in the Northeast, which has seen a whopping 67 percent increase in precipitation in the past four decades.

Weather Channel meteorologist Tom Moore cites urbanization and land-use changes as a cause for what appears to be the increased flooding across the USA. "In the metro areas, flooding just gets worse each decade," he says. "Because we're stripping trees and grasses away, the runoff is quicker and more extreme. These areas are now far more vulnerable to flooding."

Question: Do you think urbanization is the cause of increased flooding or is it an effect of climate change and global warming?