U.S. barracks more primitive than those in Iraq?

Not once did I ever imagine there being evidence to actually support the claim that barracks being built for foreign armies, funded by the American taxpayer are actually in better shape than some of the barracks our troops have to stay in here in the United States.

However, CNN.com released a story today that not only brought forward accusations of poor conditions in barracks, but actually presented video and images to back up those claims.

Check out this video sent to CNN by the father of soldier who returned from Afghanistan:

Now, I know that this is the military, where “roughing it” is often an assumed way of life, but you cant help but wonder why the military wouldn’t want to ensure that these troops returning (many who will be deployed again) would have comfortable accommodations to help them bring their minds back from battle, or at least ease the stress they have endured on the battlefield.

But, I think there is some light at the end of this tunnel. Instead of taking the all-to-common “no comment,” the Army released a statement:

“The conditions depicted in Mr. Frawley’s video are appalling and unacceptable, and we are addressing the concerns he expressed,” said Maj. Tom Earnhardt, spokesman for the 82nd Airborne, in a written statement.

I don’t think our troops are expecting the Ritz-Carlton when they come back from battle (though they deserve it), but it shouldn’t be difficult to provide them with simple amenities that are less-primitive than the near third-world countries they are returning from.

I know a lot of the blame can fall on the contractors who were requested to fix this, and I would hope that after this story broke those contractors were fired immediately, and new guys brought in.

Spitzers Hooker Sues Girls Gone Wild?

I honestly thought that this whole Spitzer/Hooker/Girls Gone Wild thing was something that would only last a few days, fading away with Ashley Dupree getting a spread in Playboy or something.

Throughout all of the many twists and turns this story had, at no point did I ever imagine that Ashley Dupree would actually have her legal team file a lawsuit against Joe Francis’ Girls Gone Wild empire.

The hooker is suing for $10million, claiming that that she was illegally exploited on the Girls Gone Wild website following “hooker-gate.”

Is this high-priced hooker actually claiming that she was exploited by the actions of Girls Gone Wild? Is that even possible? I’m pretty sure when you agree to do Girls Gone Wild, should expect that exploitation is naturally going to be the next step.

She’s not claiming that she was exploited when she agreed to do the videos, nor when she got naked and did a variety of things on camera. No, instead she’s more concerned with how Girls Gone Wild portrayed her in marketing materials on their website.

To be honest, I have no clue how this is going to turn out, but I really hope that Joe Francis’ legal team fights this one (though I know they are busy). When you agree to do Girls Gone Wild, there should be an understanding of what is going to happen. This isn’t something that is unexpected, and I’m sure for many Girls Gone Wild participants, it’s probably one of the reasons that agree to do it.

I think Joe Francis sums this up best in his interview with CNN.com:

Francis said Monday he and his company “have nothing to worry about.”

“But I think it’s ironic that she charged Gov. Spitzer $2,000 for sex and she wants to charge me 10 million for taking some naked pictures of her,” Francis told CNN. “I feel like I’m getting a raw deal.”

Touché Mr. Francis.