Amazon warehouse worker stole $160,000 in electronics

An Amazon employee stole more than $160,000 in merchandise from the company's distribution center in Cayce, South Carolina, earlier this spring. Todd Anthony Cofield, Jr. turned himself in to the authorities last Thursday after allegedly taking 726 iPod touch players and 49 HP laptops between April 20 and May 31. He now faces charges of grand larceny.

Cofield hid his actions by falsifying documents related to the unloading of freight trailers that contained the electronics. Security guards from FedEx Freight and Amazon managed to discover that the items were missing and reported the theft to the local police.

Computers and personal electronics are frequent targets for thieves. Fortunately, there are apps that can protect your mobile devices in case they are stolen. And some people have been very lucky in recovering their lost and stolen tech items, so don't lose hope if you are a victim of theft!

Roasted Aparagus And Tomatoes

Ingredients
Olive oil mist
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine 1 pound trimmed asparagus, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, 1/3 cup sliced shallots, 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper on a jelly-roll pan.

Coat lightly with olive oil mist.

Bake at 400°F for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender

Divorce: Navigating an Emotional Hurricane

Unless you live in a cave, I don’t need to tell you Katie has filed for divorce from Tom. In fact, I don’t even need to tell you their last names. We’ve been privy to the intimate details of their love and lives since they began dating. Now that a divorce proceeding has begun, I’m sure we’ll also be privy to every angry word, marital indiscretion and tear that will be shed.

For those of us who’ve lived through our own divorce (and given the unfortunate statistics, we are many), the one thing we know for certain is there will be tears and heartache. Divorces, no matter how “amicable,” are painful and traumatic. They force us to face painful truths about the people we promised to love for time eternal and ourselves. They upset the apple cart of our lives and make terrifying messes of them. They make us feel like failures, fill us with shame and doubt about ourselves as loveable human beings and throw us into a void of uncertainty. In short, they ravage our lives like an emotional hurricane.

If there are children involved, we struggle to know what’s in their best interest. Do we stay in a loveless and perhaps abusive relationship for the sake of the children or is it in everyone’s best interest that we dissolve the marriage? Women are often paralyzed by fear and the economic uncertainly they may face through a divorce. Men are often terrified of being emotionally and physically alone.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I help people navigate their way through this often paralyzing and seemingly devastating process. My role in this regard is not to hand my patients a prescription instructing them to stay together or call it quits, but rather to help them process the pain, disappointment and betrayal that exists in their marriage. The goal is to help them reach a clear understanding of what they want to do and why they want to do it.

To accomplish this, we need to get clarity on some basic concepts about the role and value of marriage as an institution and its place in our lives. For example, as a man who went through his own traumatic divorce and recently re-married, I hold the following beliefs to be true:

• Physical and emotional abuse is unacceptable. Marriage must serve to promote the human dignity of all, not degrade it.
• Marriage serves an incredibly valuable function in our society. It’s an institution worth fighting for and one that should be available to every human being who is willing to work for and advance it.
• Marriage and the people in it are dynamic and must remain open to the evolution that occurs as part of the human experience.
• Fear is something to be worked through in a safe and contained process, not avoided.
• The fact that a decision is hard means it’s important. A struggle signifies there are real issues to be resolved and matters of great importance at stake.

If you too are considering a divorce, I encourage you to engage in a similar process. By getting clear on a few basic principals and beliefs, you can anchor yourself during divorce’s emotional storm. In this regard, think and write about the following:

• What does the institution of marriage mean to you?
• Has your own marriage veered from this meaning? If so, how?
• What would need to happen to bring it back in line with this meaning? Is this possible?
• Are you compromising your integrity or safety, or the integrity or safety of your children by staying in the marriage?
• What kind of role model are you being to your children by staying in the marriage or by ending it?

We must all live our lives by guiding principals. This is especially true when the winds of uncertainty gust and the rains of disappointment fall around us. Divorce is traumatic and life-changing. It stabs at our hearts and wreaks havoc with our souls. Know there is protection from the storm and a new life at its end. Trust yourself and your instincts. Honor yourself and your life. You deserve to be happy, healthy and to thrive in your relationships and in the world

5 Health Tests Every Man Needs

Testicular Exam
Early detection of testicular cancer increases a man’s chance of survival by 90% – that’s right, 90%. It’s especially important for Caucasian men under 40 because they are at the greatest risk. And, guess what? A doctor’s visit isn’t necessary. Men simply need to take a few minutes in their own home once a year. Their partner can even help. Here’s how:

• Slowly roll each testicle, one at a time, between your thumb and fingers gently feeling all over for any lumps or hardness. Normal testicles should feel soft. Cancer may feel like a knuckle or a small, hard bean.
• Make sure that neither of the testicles has grown smaller since your last check. The testicle should be about an inch and a half long (don’t worry, a ruler isn’t needed; just put two fingers next to each other, lining up the fingernails and compare that length to your testicle width). Testicles smaller than that distance could indicate a higher risk for testicular cancer.
• If a lump or abnormality is detected, schedule a doctor’s appointment right away

Prostate Exam
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that sits below the bladder and in front of the rectum and helps produce the fluid that creates semen. Prostate cancer, which affects about 1 in 6 men, is one of the most common male cancers. So, it’s critical that men get checked annually starting around 40 years old and definitely by the time they reach 50.

The test is simple, painless and over in seconds. The doctor will put a dollop of lubricant on a gloved finger, quickly insert it into your rectum to feel for any irregularities in the prostate tissue and whether the prostate is enlarged.

Bonus: Knock out Test #3 at the same time.

Guaiac Test (Better Known as the Poop Test)
While checking your prostate, your physician can help him or herself to a tiny sample of your stool. By putting a solution onto the specimen, your doctor can tell in seconds if there is any blood in your stool (one of the signs of colon cancer).

You can also do this test at home by picking up a Hemoccult kit at your local pharmacy 
Colonoscopy
Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the US and used to be one of the most deadly. But if it’s caught early, colon cancer is actually curable and the treatment is relatively easy. This test is the most involved one on the list, but the good news is that people with an average risk for colon cancer only have to do it every 10 years. Make an appointment now and be done for a decade.

Before the exam, instructions often require a special diet and laxatives to help clear out the colon; an enema may also be necessary before the procedure. This exam prerequisite is the part that most folks complain about.

At the actual test, sedating medication will ensure the patient is relaxed. Some doctors will even use general anesthesia. Then the doctor will insert an instrument called a colonocope into the colon to look for polyps, which can be the beginnings of colon cancer. They can be removed right then and there and, if necessary, tested for cancerous tissue later. The entire exam takes about 30 minutes. Drugs may cause the patient to feel groggy, but there is no physical pain.

Because colon cancer usually produces no symptoms until it’s at an advanced, and more difficult to treat stage, it is important that everyone begin testing at the age of 50 (or earlier if there’s a significant family history).

Testosterone Test
This simple blood test can say so much about a man’s overall health. Men with low testosterone levels are more prone to being overweight, having diabetes, or feeling fatigued and depressed. They are also at greater risk for osteoporosis.

Testosterone does drop with age but certain things, such as a lot of belly fat, can cause it to plummet. With it can go your sex drive and even your erectile function.

Low levels can be corrected by losing belly fat (follow a good diet and get lots of exercise). If the doctor is seriously concerned, there are prescription anti-estrogen pills, gels and injections that will block the effect of belly fat until it’s lost naturally.

There. Now that doesn’t sound so hard, does it?

Prince Fielder wins Home Run Derby for 2nd time

Detroit's Prince Fielder became only the second player to win multiple titles in the All-Star Home Run Derby, thrilling the crowd at Kauffman Stadium with eight splash shots into the right-field fountain and beating Toronto's Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final Monday night.

On a night when the Yankees' Robinson Cano was repeatedly booed and went homerless, Fielder put on the most powerful display among baseball's big boppers. Winner at St. Louis' Busch Stadium three years ago, Fielder hit a total of 28 home runs over three rounds to cap the main event on the eve of the All-Star game, hitting the long drive of the night at 476 feet into the water.

Ken Griffey Jr. won three titles, in 1994, 1998 and 1999.

While the ball stayed out of McCovey Cove during the 2007 Derby at San Francisco's AT&T Park and the right-field swimming pool last year at Chase Field in Phoenix, there was plenty of aquatic activity in Kansas City, second only to Rome for most fountains in cities around the world.

After three splash shots among his five homers in the first round, Fielder started off the second round as the setting sun lit up clouds in a pretty pink behind the left-field wall. His mop of dreadlocks visible as he hit without a helmet, Fielder deposited four more balls into the 322-foot-wide water spectacular, which by then was illuminated in the twilight.

He added another water drive in the final round, then leaned against one of his sons while he watched Bautista swing.

When he won three years ago in St. Louis, Fielder's 23 homers included a 503-foot drive that disappeared between two sections of bleachers in right-center.

Cano set a final-round record of 12 en route to last year's title in Phoenix, where he hit 32 overall. This year he was the object of loud booing throughout by fans upset he didn't select the Royals' Billy Butler after promising to take a hometown player for his derby team.

Fans chanted "Bil-ly Butler!" in between their boos. When it was over, Cano got hugs from Boston's David Ortiz and Yankees teammates Curtis Granderson and CC Sabathia.

"Everywhere the Yankees go play, they get booed all the time. I'm used to it," Cano said.

It was the 17th time a player went homerless in the Derby, the first since Detroit's Brandon Inge in 2009.

"that was the most interesting reaction to a home rum derby i've ever seen, but the fans were excited which is all that counts," Granderson tweeted.

Carlos Gonzalez and Andrew McCutchen (four each) and Matt Kemp (one) also were dropped after the first round.

Carlos Beltran (12) was dropped after the second round, when Mark Trumbo and Bautista were tied with 13 apiece, leading to a swingoff won by Bautista 2-1.

Trumbo and Bautista each managed to put a drive into the small fountain beyond the left-field wall. Trumbo also hit a pair of shots over the Royals Hall of Fame in left, toward Interstate 70.

Ray Allen , Lebron James And Dwayne Wade ??

Ray Allen will take less money for a chance at another NBA championship.

Allen told the Miami Heat on Friday night that he intends to accept their contract offer and leave Boston after five seasons, even though the Celtics could pay him about twice as much as the reigning NBA champions will be able to next season. Miami could only offer Allen the mini mid-level, worth about $3 million a year.

Heat owner Micky Arison tweeted the news just after 9:30 p.m., or about 2:30 a.m. Saturday in Europe, where Arison has been for several days.

"I was just woken up with great news," Arison wrote. "Welcome to the family." Arison ended the tweet by making mention of Allen's jersey No. 20, and didn't mention the NBA's leading 3-point shooter by name.

A person briefed on details of the decision told The Associated Press that Arison got the word from Heat President Pat Riley, who made Allen the team's top free-agent priority - especially in recent days. Allen, who will be 37 this month, arrived in Miami on Thursday for a visit, went to dinner with Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra, team executive Alonzo Mourning and others Thursday night, then left Friday to presumably decide his future.

Hours later, the choice was made. Allen's agent, James Tanner, confirmed the decision to the AP not long after Arison's tweet.

Allen, who made a career-best 45 percent of his 3-point attempts this past season cannot officially sign until Wednesday because of the league's moratorium.

Allen becomes the latest player to be sold by Riley on the notion of sacrifice since the blockbuster summer of 2010. The Heat convinced LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all to take less money than they could have made elsewhere in that offseason, so there would be enough room left to add players like Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller. Then last summer, Shane Battier accepted a deal that will pay him $3 million annually.,

The approach clearly worked. Next fall, the Heat will raise a championship banner, and Allen will be with them for the title defense.

"HeatNation continues to grow," Wade wrote on Twitter late Friday night. And James added, "please welcome our newest teammate Ray Allen" with the added hashtag of "Wow."

Wade and James both were involved on some level in the recruitment of Allen. James took to Twitter and Facebookin recent days to let his millions of followers know how much he wanted to see Allen in a Heat uniform, and Wade tweeted on Wednesday that the next day - the one where Allen was visiting - would be a big one for the franchise.

In the end, it appeared that the biggest push - again - came from Riley, who said before free agency started that Miami had identified "five or six" clear targets to add to the roster.

He never specifically said Allen, and given how James was letting the secret out on Twitter anyway, Riley didn't have to say anything else.

New Orleans Hornets guard Jarrett Jack asked his followers in a tweet about an hour after the Allen story broke if he was "wrong for thinking ray allen is a traitor" for signing with Miami. Even NFL stars were reacting Friday night. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick used the following hashtags on Twitter to describe his reaction to Allen's decision: "loaded," ''finalpiece" and "notfair."

There's probably more than a few people in Boston who would agree.

Miami is still hoping to add at least one more piece through free agency, and is expected to meet this weekend with Marcus Camby and Rashard Lewis.

Allen was mentioned in some trade possibilities this past season, and eventually lost his starting job to Avery Bradley. Allen needed surgery earlier this offseason to remove bone spurs from his right ankle, though said when the Celtics were ousted from the playoffs by the Heat for the second straight year that his playing days were not over.

"There's still a lot of basketball left in my legs," Allen said in Miami not long after the Celtics dropped Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Heat. "I know that for sure. So it's hard to say what can happen, what may happen."

Not even a month later, Allen - who helped the Celtics win the 2008 NBA title - decided to join Miami.

Earlier this week, the Celtics reportedly agreed on a $15 million, three-year deal with shooting guard Jason Terry. But Boston also wanted to keep Allen, with general manager Danny Ainge quoted in recent days saying "we really want Ray to come back. Time will tell."

Miami wanted Allen because of its ongoing quest to keep surrounding James, Wade and Bosh with shooters who extend defenses and therefore create room around the basket for the "Big Three" to attack. That approach worked perfectly for Miami in the playoffs - the Heat were 9-1 when making at least eight 3-pointers in playoff games (7-6 otherwise), and they hit 14 in the finals-clincher over Oklahoma City.

Allen has made an NBA-record 2,718 3-pointers.

Frank Ocean Admits He's Gay

R&B siger FRANK OCEAN took to Tumblr to COME OUT as a gay/downlow man. We call him a "downlow" dude because Frank is always on twitter taking about "h*es" . . . so he's cleary still MESSING WITH WOMEN.

Anyways, he wrote a GAY LOVE STORY, about how he first FELL IN LOVE with a man. The man in the story he claims is "19 years old" but people on Twitter are saying that the dude he's talking about is OLDER, and a popular rapper.

Read it for yourself.

4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I'd see him, and his smile. Sleep I would often share with him. By the time I realised I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless.

There was no escaping, no negotiating to the women I had been with, the ones I cared for and thought I was in love with.

"I sat there and told my friend how I felt. I wept as the words left my mouth. I grieved for then. Knowing I could never take them back for myself. He patted my back. He said kind things. He did his best, but he wouldn't admit the same.

He had to go back inside soon. It was late and his girlfriend was waiting for him upstairs. He wouldn't tell the truth about his feelings for me for another 3 years. I felt like I'd only imagined reciprocity for years.

Now imagine being thrown from a cliff. No, I wasn’t on a cliff. I was still in my car telling myself it was gonna be find and to take deep breaths. I took the breaths and carried on. I kept up a peculiar friendship with him because I couldn’t imagine keeping up my life without him. I struggled to master myself and my emotions. I wasn’t always successful.

The dance went on. I kept the rhythm for several summers after. It’s winter now. I’m typing this on a plane back to Los Angeles from New Orleans. I flew home for another marred Christmas. I have a windowseat.

It’s December 27, 2011. By now I’ve written two albums. This being the second. I wrote to keep myself busy and sane. I wanted to create worlds that were rosier than mine. I tried to channel overwhelming emotions. I’m surprise at how far all of it has taken me. Before writing this I’d told some people my story. I’m sure these people kept me alive, kept me safe. Sincerely, these are the folks I wanna thank from the floor of my heart. Everyone of you knows who you are.

Great humans, probably angels. I don’t know what happens now. And that’s alrite. I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore. There’s probably some small shit still, but you know what I mean. I was never alone, as much as it felt like it. As much as I still do sometimes. I never was. I don’t think I ever could be. Thanks.

To my first love, I’m grateful for you. Grateful that even thought it wasn’t what I hoped for and even thought it was never enough, it was. Some things never are. And we were. I won’t forget you. I won’t forget the summer. I’ll remember who I was when I met you. I’ll remember who you were and how we’ve both changed and stayed the same. I’ve never had more respect for life and living than I have right now. Maybe it takes a near death experience to feel alive. Thanks.

To my mother. You raised me strong. I know I’m only brave because you were first. So thank you. All of you. For everything good. I feel like a free man. If I listen closely, I can hear the sky falling too.