Monday, February 20, 2012

CSPAN Video

This video literally brought tears to my eyes.



This video is direct proof that Kurt speaking out, and all the backlash we have dealt with, is worth it. Our entire intent in speaking out about this was to open the public's eyes to the corruption going on within the federal government. Get people to ask questions, get people to simply not believe everything that they are told because the government says it is true.

These callers, who are all strangers to us, called in, and questioned this TSA agent who claims to know "nothing" about Kurt or what he saw. I think this video itself proves something, as that TSA agent is an obvious liar. He should have just admitted he knew who Kurt was. Saying he was clueless, seriously.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Letter to Judge Edmunds

If you read my post below, you would know that I was not happy about the way I was treated at court the day I was to give my victim impact statement. Thus, not wanting to make a decision while angry, I slept on it. I then decided, the next day, I was still not happy and thought the Judge should know how she made me, as a victim feel. I wrote a letter to her, mailed it, and also emailed it to the Victim Advocate at the court we have been dealing with to see if she could take it to the Judge. I have copied the letter below.

Dear Judge Edmunds:

I wanted to write you this letter, to tell you about how your behavior in court on February 16, 2012, towards me, made me feel. My hope is that you will think about how you made me feel before behaving this way in the future towards victims of terrorist attacks.

During the sentencing of the underwear bomber, I was allowed to speak as a victim. All four other passengers spoke before me, and all were treated with respect and allowed to speak without comment or being judged.

When it was my time to speak, instead of simply calling me to the podium, you instead stated “Ms. Haskell, do you have anything to add besides what Mr. Haskell just stated about his government conspiracy theories?” I was floored. I was there, as a victim, someone who almost died in a terrorist attack, and you were talking to me like I was some kind of secondary citizen/criminal, completely *judging* me before I had said a word. I sat in your courtroom through all the other hearings and was never anything but respectful to the court and the judicial system. Throughout the entire proceedings, you treated the Defendant and everyone involved with nothing but respect, and until yesterday, I thought you were great during the proceedings in keeping level headed and being fair.

I am my own person. I may be married to Kurt Haskell, and while I do support him 100% in what he says, I am allowed, pursuant to court rules, to give my statement and not feel pressured to say what the court/judge wants me to say, or not say. I had prepared a handwritten statement, which I read, and which I felt was completely appropriate. However, you made me nervous about saying anything at all after your comments to me. I should have been treated differently as a victim. I feel you acted inappropriately, in letting your obvious disdain for my husband’s comments flow over into my time to finally say how I felt.

As a Judge, you are always supposed to act in a unbiased way towards victims. I was not treated in that manner. It is embarrassing to judges everywhere that you treated me in this manner. It saddens me that before yesterday, I really looked up to you as a woman and a Judge. You swore me into federal court 5 and a half years ago. I realize now that I need to find a different kind of role model. One who does not treat victims like the criminal. If I am ever a Judge, I truly hope that I never make a victim feel worse than they already do. And if I did that, I would hope to be called out on it. You may be the Judge, but that does not mean you are always right. At least in my eyes.

Thank you for your attention. I wish you the best, and hope you never personally have to go through what I went through, and then be treated poorly by the judge in the case.

I have not yet decided if I am doing anything further with this or not. I am hoping the Judge calls me for say she is sorry, but I highly doubt that will happen. Her arrogant attitude in court will most likely stop her from ever admitting any wrongdoing. I may report her for misconduct as well. Even though nothing really ever happens with these reports, at least she would be forced to stop and think about her behavior and perhaps not treat someone like this again in the future.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Annoying treatment

Today was............stressful. A relief. Perplexing.

Kurt & I attended the sentencing of Umar. We were allowed to give victim impact statements. We arrived about 30 minutes early, and I got to meet the three other passengers who were there. One was the flight attendant who put the fire out. So, it was amazing to get to thank the person who saved my life in person. VERY nice guy. His story is really sad. He loved flying around the world as a flight attendant, and now he dreads going into work every day. He broke down in tears and had to leave the courtroom after speaking.

Kurt gave his speech, which is posted below, and it was pretty anti-Federal government. Anyway, I was the last passenger to speak. Before I could speak, while Kurt was walking back to his seat, the Judge actually said something to the affect of "Ms Haskell, do you have something to say different than what Mr. Haskell is reporting about conspiracy theories and the government?" I told her my statement was not the same as Kurt's, and I was allowed to speak. However, I was wondering, is the Judge going to censor my statement? She in essence was saying that she did not want me to make a statement like Kurt's. Which, quite frankly, pissed me off. Do I agree 100% with Kurt? Yes. Am I the same person as Kurt. No. Should I be not allowed to speak and be spoken to in that manner because I am married to Kurt? Absolutely not. Obviously, the Judge in the case has no interest in the idea that the government may do anything dishonest, but she does NOT have the right to censor me simply because I am married to Kurt. Umar sits in court, every time, talking about killing americans and the like, but I can't say anything if it supports my husband? The Judge treated Umar with nothing but respect, but I get treated in a snotty, condescending way. Really, really stupid. Again, the victims being treated as criminals instead of as victims. That's how we were treated when the plane landed, and that's how I feel again today. Ridiculous.

I was happy that Umar was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. even though I believe Umar is a patsy, I do believe that he wanted to kill us all, and I could see throughout all of this that he is not remorseful at all, and I don't think he has a chance of being rehabilitated.

My favorite part of the hearing was when Umar addressed Kurt and said "Mr. Haskell, I am not a patty!" (in reference to something Kurt said to him during his statement).

Anyway, glad to close that chapter of my life. Hope everyone else had a less drama filled afternoon. :).

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Underwear Bomber Sentencing Hearing

by Kurt Haskell

Tomorrow at 1:00 P.M. is the sentencing hearing for the Underwear Bomber. This will likely be the final hearing in the case. The charges Umar took a plea to require a mandatory like sentence. Thus, this hearing is really a mere formality. However, Michigan law provides that any victim of a crime can give a victim impact statement before sentencing. Thus, as I am a victim I am entitled to give my statement. I wish I could take an hour to give a fully detailed statement about everything that happened, but Judge Edmunds has limited each passenger to 5 minutes. This will be the first time that I actually get to speak in Court regarding this matter. It will be interesting. I am sure the media will once again try and paint me as a nut job "conspiracy theorist". Frankly, I don't care and I will speak the truth. My statement is prepared and I will post it here tomorrow after the hearing.

Victim Impact Statement

by Kurt Haskell



Every victim of a crime in Michigan is entitled to make a statement in open court regarding the impact of the crime on their life. The statement is limited to the victim's physical, emotional and financial well being as it relates to the crime. Keep that in my as you read my statement. Below is a copy of the victim impact statement I gave today at the Underwear Bomber sentencing hearing. When reading my statement, keep in mind that I am a practicing attorney in the State of Michigan. In addition, I regularly practice in the Court the hearings are taking place at and therefore, I am somewhat limited as to what I can say. We were limited to 5 minutes each.

I wish to thank the Court for allowing me these 5 minutes to make my statement. My references to the government in this statement refer to the Federal Government excluding this Court and the prosecution. On Christmas Day 2009, my wife and I were returning from an African safari and had a connecting flight through Amsterdam. As we waited for our flight, we sat on the floor next to the boarding gate. What I witnessed while sitting there and subsequent events have changed my life forever. While I sat there, I witnessed Umar dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt, being escorted around security by a man in a tan suit who spoke perfect American English and who aided Umar in boarding without a passport. The airline gate worker initially refused Umar boarding until the man in the tan suit intervened. The event meant nothing to me at the time. Little did I know that Umar would try to kill me a few hours later as our flight approached Detroit. The final 10 minutes of our flight after the attack were the worst minutes of my life. During those 10 minutes I sat paralyzed in fear. Unfortunately, what happened next has had an even greater impact on my life and has saddened me further.

When we landed, I was shocked that our plane taxied up to the gate. I was further shocked that we were forced to sit on the plane for 20 minutes with powder from the so called bomb all over the cabin. The officers that boarded the plane did nothing to ensure our safety and did not check for accomplices or other explosive devices. Several passengers trampled through parts of the bomb as they exited the plane. We were then taken into the terminal with our unchecked carry on bags. Again, there was no concern for our safety even though Umar told the officers that there was another bomb on board as he exited the plane. I wondered why nobody was concerned about our safety, accomplices or other bombs and the lack of concern worried me greatly. I immediately told the FBI my story in order to help catch the accomplice I had seen in Amsterdam. It soon became obvious that the FBI wasn't interested in what I had to say, which upset me further. For one month the government refused to admit the existence of the man in the tan suit before changing course and admitting his existence in an ABC News article on January 22, 2010. That was the last time the government talked about this man. The video that would prove the truth of my account has never been released. I continue to be emotional upset that the video has not been released. The Dutch police, meanwhile, in this article (show article), also confirmed that Umar did not show his passport in Amsterdam which also meant that he didn't go through security as both are in the same line in Amsterdam. It upsets me that the government refuses to admit this fact.

I became further saddened from this case, when Patrick Kennedy of the State Department during Congressional hearings, admitted that Umar was a known terrorist, was being followed, and the U.S. allowed him into the U.S. so that it could catch Umar's accomplices. I was once again shocked and saddened when Michael Leiter of the National Counter terrorism Center admitted during these same hearings that intentionally letting terrorists into the U.S. was a frequent practice of the U.S. Government. I cannot fully explain my sadness, disappointment and fear when I realized that my government allowed an attack on me intentionally.

During this time, I questioned if my country intentionally put a known terrorist onto my flight with a live bomb. I had many sleepless nights over this issue. My answer came shortly thereafter. In late 2010, the FBI admitted to giving out intentionally defective bombs to the Portland Christmas Tree Bomber,the Wrigley Field Bomber and several others. Further, Mr. Chambers was quoted in the Free Press on January 11, 2011 when he indicated that the government's own explosives experts had indicated that Umar's bomb was impossibly defective. I wondered how that could be. Certainly, I thought, Al Qaeda wouldn't go through all of the trouble to plan such an attack only to provide the terrorist with an impossibly defective bomb.

I attended nearly all of the pretrial hearings. At the hearing on January 28, 2011, I was greatly disappointed by the prosecution's request to block evidence from Mr. Chambers "as it could then be able to be obtained by third parties, who could use it in a civil suit against the government". It really bothered me that the government apparently was admitting to wrongdoing of some kind as it admitted that it was concerned it would be sued. It further upset me to know that the government was putting its own interests ahead of those of the passengers.

When I attended the jury selection hearings, I questioned why versions of the same two questions kept coming up, those being:

1. Do you think whether you'll be able to tell whether something is actually a bomb? and
2. Do you realize that sometimes the media doesn't always tell the truth?

I continued to be greatly saddened at this point as I felt the truth continued to be hidden.

When Umar listed me as his only witness, I was happy to testify, not on his behalf, but on behalf of the truth. I never expected to testify, as my eyewitness account would have been too damaging to the myth that the government and media are putting forward. A mere 5 days after I was announced as a witness, there was an inexplicable guilty plea which exasperated me as I no longer would be testifying.

In closing I will just say that regardless of how the media and government try to shape the public perception of this case, I am convinced that Umar was given an intentionally defective bomb by a U.S. Government agent and placed on our flight without showing a passport or going through security, to stage a false terrorist attack to be used to implement various government policies.

The effect this matter has had on my life has been astounding and due to this case, I will never trust the government in any matter, ever.

In regards to sentencing, nothing I've said excuses the fact that Umar tried to kill me. He has waived his valid claim to the entrapment defense. Umar, you are not a great Muslim martyr, you are merely a "Patsy". I ask the court to impose the mandatory sentence.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Updates


Really busy week (shocker).

Had dinner with my friend, Mel, on Tuesday night. Was really nice to catch up and talk about her upcoming wedding and other things going on with both of us. :). Need to plan another night out soon with her.......We ended up at Olive Garden, we wanted to go to Carabba's, and weirdly, we pulled up and they were closed. I think they were doing some kind of cleaning or something because the door said they were open Tuesday nights. We were too lazy to get out of the car and see if there was some sort of notice on the door.

Sooooo I went back to blonde. I actually really liked the red, but a Judge I am in front of all the time told me she thought I needed some blonde highlights and Kurt said he kinda missed the blonde, so back I went. I went really light for me, and I am really liking it for something different. I ended up doing lots of highlights instead of all over color. Also, got some sideswept bangs cut in as well. Love it.

We worked all weekend, but instead of it being a pain, it was a relief to kinda clear off my desk. It's never totally cleared off with family law, but I got a lot of work done and have a lot of filing to do tomorrow. I also got some other stuff done for my Mediation business, so I can hand that out now to the Judges.

I got three suits and a suit coat for summer in the mail from Ideel yesterday. I love two of the suits and the suit coat. The suit coat I had to get, even though it's freezing out, becuz short sleeve black suit coats are super hard to find in a cute cut for a good price, and this one popped up and is Tahari, so a nice brand. anyway, it fits perfect. The other suit has an all pleats skirt and I really want to like this style on me, but I always think I look huge in skirts like that. I think I just need to accept that the style is just not right for my body type. Boo, cuz I love how girly the pleats are on a business suit. That one is being sent back.


I also got my new Kate Spade purse and belt delivered this week. Love the purse, it's green and super cute. Cannot find a pic online to post though. the belt looks adorable with a lot of my dresses, and I have already worn it once. Love Kate Spade. Especially sample sales.........

Had to buy a new garbage disposal online tonight, BOOO. Found one for like $25 less on Amazon, so that was good. I noticed it was leaking, and when Kurt tried to fix it, he found a huge hole in the side of it. Guess it's not being fixed, ugh. Hopefully it is delivered soon. It is great having a handy husband, as he will fix it as soon as the new one gets here.

Had the most annoying week in court. Lots of hearings with some realllllly annoying attorneys who constantly interrupted, and would just overall obnoxious. Makes me really appreciate the attys who practice in the right way and take turns. Don't we learn that in like pre-school? Seriously. Hope this week is better in that regard because I ended up with a headache two days yesterday because of this.

I have so many little things and calls to take care of. Hopefully, I can start getting those things done tomorrow. I also need to start booking my Mom and I's Port Richey trip for late March. can't wait for that......

So sad about Whitney Houston. Not totally surprising, but sad just the same since I have always loved her music and grew up listening to her. I feel horrible for her poor daughter.

Hope you all had a nice weekend.

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Super Bowl Snacks

So, we worked both days this weekend, which was NOT fun. However, it was necessary because of our amazing St Maarten vacay, so I will say I am OK with the being forced to work all weekend. I would not trade that vacay for anything. :). I did clear a lot of stuff off my desk, so that is always a positive thing.

Super Bowl Sunday is always a fun one in the Haskell household. We always stay home, and I make us snacks and we relax and have fun watching the game, the commercials, and the halftime show. I have not liked a half time show in forever, but this year surprised me and I loved it. I loved Madonna as a kid, and she still puts on a fabulous show. I really liked it all. She knows how to put on a great performance. And, she looks incredible! The game, meh. I am not a fan of either team at all, but I detest Tom Brady, so it was nice to see him lose. :).

So, I decided to make "healthy" snacks this year, since Kurt and I are so into eating well. I did not want to eat like crap just because it was the Super Bowl. So, I made the following, with some modifications.

So, first, I made Hot Cheesy Bean Dip, from the site Closet Cooking.

I will put what I modified in parentheses:

Ingredients:
1 batch refried beans ( I did not make the recipe, I just used a can of vegetarian refried beans I had on hand)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature) (I used Philadelphia fat free)
1 cup sour cream (used kroger brand fat free)
1/2 cup green onions (sliced)
1 batch taco seasoning (I made this seasoning and it was fab, great recipe)
2/3 cup salsa (extra liquid drained) (used kroger brand mild)
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies (drained)
1 cup cheese (grated) (used fat free cheddar kraft)

Directions:
1. Mix everything, reserving some of the cheese, in a large bowl.
2. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and top with the reserved cheese.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until it is bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 45-60 minutes (I cooked for 60 minutes)

I served it with Baked Tostitoes. Recipe was super yummy. Never would have guessed I used the fat free version of almost every ingredient. Also, this recipe made a HUGE serving. It was enough to feed like 6 people, at least. We did not even eat half.

Next, I made a mini-dessert I have been wanting to try, Cookie Dough Dip, from a site called Chocolate Covedred Katie I was really intrigued that people were raving in the comments about the taste, and it's made out of freaking chick peas, which are good for me. and cookie dough is one of my fav things in the world.

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained) (250g)
  • 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
  • tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup nut butter (You can get away with using only 3 T. If you use peanut butter, it’ll have a very-slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so if you don’t want this, you can sub oil.) (I used almond butter)
  • up to 1/4 cup milk of choice (Start with 1 T, and add more as needed) (used skim milk)
  • Sweetener (see note below, for amount) (I used organic brown sugar)
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (or Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips)
  • 2 to 3 T oats (or flaxmeal) (You can omit, but also omit the milk if you do)

Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a food processor, and blend until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

This was super yummy! Did it taste just like cookie dough? No, but pretty damn close. And the combo of the ingredients, I never would have guessed it would be so good. Highly recommend.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

St Maarten Trip Report Jan/Feb 2012


St. Maarten, how I love you, let me count the ways.......

We can say now that Kurt's bday trip 2012 was a raging success. Loved everything about it, I can't really say one negative thing about the trip. At all. St Maarten may be one of the prettiest places I have ever been to, maybe prettier than Hawaii. Close though. It def was not a party island, and we would prob even be considered young for visiting there. A lot of retired people from Europe, I think. Even though half the island is French and half Dutch, we had no language issues, everyone we encountered spoke great English. The island def was not cheap, most meals were pretty pricey that we had, even though most places we ate were not high end. but it was a short trip, so whatever. We only celebrate Kurt's bday once a year. :).

Anyway, we flew via US Airways via Philly. The flight from Detroit to Philly was delayed due to deicing in Detroit and a delay landing in Philly and Kurt and I had to literally SPRINT about a mile in Philly to our connecting flight. Good since we did not work out that night. ;). Just barely made the flight, but we did. Got to St Maarten and flew thought customs and to our shuttle to the rental car place (Payless). we had rented a full size car, but when we got there, the full size car had a mechanical issue so we received the next smallest car for money off, which was fine. As long as it fit our rather large luggage, that's all I cared about. We were there off to the condo. I had gotten direction to The Cliff from the guy we leased it, and we drove right there. Was only about 10 minutes from the airport. Pulled up and were buzzed in, got our keys and headed up to one of the most perfect places ever. I immediately was drawn to the huge balcony overlooking the ocean, with lounge chairs. You could sit in these and hear the waves crashing against the shore. Amazing. One of the most relaxing sounds ever.......We sat there nightly for long periods of time just relaxing. Anyway, the room had a master and guest bedroom, three bathrooms, a laundry room (which I loved having), a full kitchen (which was awesome), dining area, living room, foyer. I think it was like 1750 sf? It was incredible. I would highly recommend anyone staying there. We were in condo C6. The complex also had beach access to Cupecoy Beach, a pool (which we never used, I hate pools when a beach is nearby), a fitness area (which we used daily), a tennis court (which we oddly never used), a lap pool, a spa, a cafe, and steam rooms/saunas. Used the steam room and loved it.

The food the entire trip was incredible. most of the places specialized in unique seafood, and lobster is huge there, caribbean lobster. Anyway, we ate a lot of soup, salad and seafood. I had a crab stuffed grouper burger I loved at a beachside place that was so good. Every day, we bought snacks, etc. at a local grocery store, so Kurt could have yogurt every morning, and I could have healthy snacks as well.

We spent most of our day time on the beach. Two beaches specifically, Orient Beach and Cupecoy Beach. I liked Cupecoy better as it was more secluded and I loved the ocean swimming there. Orient beach was more busy, but had more of a selection for food and stuff. Kurt liked Orient better.

We drove into Phillipsburg one day to shop and had an awesome Indian lunch. Did not buy anything but sunscreen, as we ran out.

Didnt take a ton of pics, but you can see the ones I did take by clicking here.

Fun Circuit Training

Tried this tonight as the start of my workout. Only went through it once, as I wanted to bike as well. Anyway, I went into it thinking it would be super easy, as I already do all those exercises as part of my workouts, but wow, super great workout. Loved it. Highly recommend.