Source: Cafemom.com

The answer to that question is Minnesota. There, mother Stephanie Brotena and her live-in boyfriend, Darnell Landrum, called themselves punishing their daughter for bad grades when they publicly humiliated her in their neighborhood. But now they are the ones facing punishment after police officers arrested them and took their children into custody for their antics.

The couple has been charged with malicious punishment after they forced their 12-year-old daughter to run around their neighborhood doing laps and picking up garbage in nothing but a tank top and an adult diaper—after they shaved her head. They said they told the girl she’d be on “diaper duty” if she didn’t do well in school and this was their way of keeping that promise.

According to Fox, at least 50 people watched the humiliating spectacle until someone finally called the police. When they showed up about 30 minutes later, the girl was said to be crying and hysterical. Her parents on the other hand, still didn’t grasp the severity of the punishment—or their own. According to Police Lt. Mike Monsrud:

“What is perhaps the most disturbing is that all the way up to the jail, the couple was laughing and joking, not believing they were involved in anything inappropriate. They questioned police involvement. They believed it was their decision as parents to discipline the girl.”

Now they won’t be doing much disciplining at all since the girl and her three siblings were taken into protective custody.  I’m pretty sure they’re done laughing now too since they face up to a year in jail if convicted of these charges. I’m thinking that might not be such a bad ruling in this case. What about you?

Was the parent’s punishment too excessive?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: davidwygant.com

A struggling waitress and mother from Minnesota received the tip of a lifetime a while back when she opened a box with $12,000 in it. While she was trying to do the right thing and decided to contact the police about the money, that’s a decision she now regrets. Here’s the deal-io according to our friends at ABC News:

One day while working at the Fryn’ Pan in Moorhead, Minn., Stacy Knutson found a small box on the table of a customer who was leaving. When she tried to hurry up and return in to the customer, the woman told her to keep it. So she did. And when she opened it, she was surprised to find $12,000 worth of cash in it, wrapped in bundles and with rubber bands. This is what Knutson said in the lawsuit: “Even though I desperately needed the money as my husband and I have five children, I feel I did the right thing by calling the Moorhead Police.”

When she did, Moorhead Police took the money and told her that if it wasn’t claimed within 60 days, it was all hers.

But after 60 days passed, they asked her to wait 90 days.

Then 90 days passed. Still no money.

In the end, the police kept the money and said they would offer Knutson a $1,000 reward as a replacement for turning it in. Why? Despite what you’re thinking (that they played her), the local police say that the money had the smell of marijuana on it, and therefore, they needed to open up a drug investigation on it.

But people working the day Knutson found the money don’t believe that mess, and made their opinions known in an affidavit. It wasn’t drug money, because they know drugs when they smell ‘em:

“I know the smell of marijuana,” said Nickolas Fronning, a line cook at the Fryn’ Pan. “I can also assure you that there was no smell of marijuana on the bills or coming from the box.”

Her lawyer says that he and his client believe someone from her local church, who knew of her money woes found a way to give her the large “tip.” With her large family, Knutson had been working at the Fryn’ Pan for 18 years to help make ends meet.

“Somebody knew she really needed the money and she needed to be helped,” says Craig Richie. “The only thing that smells bad about this is that it’s unfair. So that’s why we’re doing something about it.”

But the police told ABC News that they are not trying to steal from her at all. Lt. Tory Jacobson says they’re actually on her side:

“The police department doesn’t have a decision on either side,” Jacobson said. “She did the right thing, we credit her with that. It’s certainly not the police department against her. We’re actually with her.”

I don’t know folks, this is a really tricky situation. Something about it does smell funny, as though she was left with dirty money. But money is money, and she found it, and it is long past the initial 90 days. So…I say just let the woman have it. However, that’s just my opinion. What about you?

Do you think this money is dirty? Or did it come from a generous person doing a good thing?

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Source:Savings4mom.com

It has to be tough for any teenager to find the right time to tell a parent she’s pregnant, but one Minnesota girl didn’t have to worry about that—Target told her dad for her.

A New York Times report picked up by MSN NOW tells the story of an angry father who stormed into a Target store demanding to speak with a manager about why his child was being sent deals on baby items. According to an employee, the man said:

“My daughter got this in the mail! She’s still in high school, and you’re sending her coupons for baby clothes and cribs? Are you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?”

The manager looked at the mailer and apologized to the man for the advertisement for maternity clothes and nursery furniture which was addressed to his daughter. But when the manager called the man a few days later to apologize again, the father was the one saying sorry. He told the manager:

“I had a talk with my daughter. It turns out there’s been some activities in my house I haven’t been completely aware of. She’s due in August. I owe you an apology.”

So how does Target know a girl is pregnant before her own father? Coupon targeting which tracks purchases and demographic information to send customer’s deals related to their anticipated needs. The thought either sounds cool or creepy. On one hand, who wouldn’t want to save money on something they plan to buy, on the other, it’s a little unsettling to think about how much big brother knows about you—and Target’s aware of that.

“If we send someone a catalog and say, ‘Congratulations on your first child!’ and they’ve never told us they’re pregnant, that’s going to make some people uncomfortable,” Andrew Pole, a statistician for the chain said. “We are very conservative about compliance with all privacy laws. But even if you’re following the law, you can do things where people get queasy.”

The New York Times report is actually pretty fascinating and eye-opening to just how much companies know about their consumers—which in the case of this father and daughter, can get people caught up. Sometimes a generic mailer is enough.

Have you noticed coupon deals that are targeted to your purchasing history? Do you think it’s neat or does it creep you out a bit?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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(Wall Street Journal) — Minnesota prepared for what could be a lengthy government shutdown, as the holiday weekend passed without Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton or Republican lawmakers returning to the bargaining table.  The state closed its government Friday, the beginning of its fiscal year, after Mr. Dayton and Republicans controlling the legislature were unable to agree on how to close a $5 billion gap in the two-year budget.  Conflicting campaign promises staked out by each side will make reaching a compromise difficult. Mr. Dayton, the first Democrat elected governor in 20 years, told voters he would raise taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents to help balance the budget.

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(AP) — Prince looks like a pauper in a list of delinquent taxpayers in Minnesota. Carver County tax records show the musician’s PRN Music Corp. owes more than $227,000 for 2009 taxes to the state and other government bodies. The county is southwest of Minneapolis.

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