Endocrinologist William Petit Jr. and his family were the victims of an utterly shocking crime on Monday. Two men entered the family home in Cheshire, Connecticut, assaulted the family and forced a woman, probably Petit's wife, to drive to an ATM and withdraw money. The burglars later set fire to the house and fled, leaving the family still inside. Dr. Petit survived the ordeal. His wife and two daughters were killed.

Dr. Petit (50) is a prominent diabetes researcher. He is medical director at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. The hospital is a Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate institution. Dr. Petit is also president of the Hartford County Medical Association. He was elected to the American Diabetes Association's Hall of Merit in 1994.

The two men suspected of committing this terrible act were arrested as they left the scene, and they were arraigned Tuesday. Both men have extensive criminal records. The attack has sent the small community of Cheshire (just north of New Haven) reeling. Read more in this report from Forbes. Even those opposed to the death penalty may wish that an exception be made for these two. They have committed a crime that can only be described as monstrous.

Very much like a prisoner being tracked in a work-release program (except it's implanted on the inside of your upper arm) -- the VeriMed microchip stores your vital health information for times when you are unable to disclose it yourself. It's about the size of a grain of rice and VeriChip says the procedure is painless.

At the Diabetic Expo, held in Atlanta, Georgia -- VeriChip Corporation received the endorsement of the American Diabetes Association to test implant the microchip in 18 diabetics who signed up for the voluntary procedure. The implantable RFID microchip sends patient information to a handheld RFID scanner and a secure patient database. This system is intended to provide immediate access to important health information for patients who arrive at an emergency room unable to communicate.

The chip stores your personal health information and it can be transmitted (in theory) to a medical professional in an emergency room. However, given the fact that anyone possessing the handheld RFID scanner can access your personal health information on the secure database- I'm not so sure I'd want to leave that out there for the world of battery-operated busy bodies. I remember how violated I felt when my personal information was stolen from Ameriprise. How would you feel if your most personal information was tapped because someone left the emergency room RFID scanner unmanned? Your name would be worth a lot more than you realize!

Warning: the following blog deserves a strong caveat. I am utterly disgusted by the event leading to the story but nonetheless, I will convey the gist of it as tactfully as possible. A drunken diabetic who brutally raped a woman while in a hypoglycaemic state has been jailed indefinitely.

Steven Graham, a 20 year old from the UK, met his victim as she walked home one evening. Graham admitted to drinking 15 beers and skipping his evening injection. He reportedly suffers from a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality disorder. He had the audacity to pleas his behavior was due to the fact he was suffering a hypoglycaemic attack.

Prosecutors obtained a report which described hypoglycemia as causing mild mannered people to behave violent and abusive. They also may seem to have superhuman strength. Graham's attorney told the court: "Hypoglycaemia is one of those conditions capable of transforming honest and decent people into violent and aggressive people." Excuse me, but hypoglycemia can transform honest and decent people into disoriented honest and decent people. It does not transform them into superhuman strength rapists. Call me stupid -- but wouldn't those conditions to which he referred be psychological?

The Judge ruled the facts of this case clearly demonstrate Graham is capable of extreme violence and he is a danger to women. Justice is served.