Fanatic Attack began as a seed in Russel Ossendyver’s brain, and that fanatic little plant grew and sprouted more seeds. One of those little buggers settled in ewoman’s email box. She tried to return it to Russell, but he convinced her that a blog site would make a great garden for serendipities. “There are enough good fanatics in the world,” he said, “that it would behoove us to share our fanaticisms. Others can share their entrancing and entertaining thoughts as well so we can all enhance our curiosities.” Like a fanatic, she agreed.  Russell was born in South Africa, and I moved to the USA when I was 18. My main dedication is to express my thoughts and help advance the adoption of Open Standards, Open Access to content, and free Open Source software community development. My other interests include animal safety and environmental preservation, lobby against oil, and music in all forms. I spent years and years in the boxing gym, hours and hours 5 to 6 days a week training boxers in NYC and being in phenomanal condition. I’m also a major sports fanatic, especially at the end of the game when everything is on the line and pressure is high. I also am a bit of a fanatic about design and art, with a very deep interest in studying fine antique handmade carpets from Persia and Turkey. Last, but not least, I enjoy traveling and I’ll always give fine exotic foods a try. I currently work for Worldlabel as Managing Director and sell labels online in the USA through Worldlabel.com My hero and whose spiritual belief of Ubuntu (the philosophy) is Nelson Mandela.

ewoman (eWoman is ok) I was born in the U.S., and I live in the U.S., but I’ve traveled overseas – east and west – and I consider myself more of a world citizen. I’m a freelance writer and, like my lifestyle, my writing is scattered. My interests are too broad to confine myself to fabric art, graphic design, mushroom festivals, domain names, coffee (especially since I’m now decaffeinated) and personal finance. Plus, I’m addicted to epiphanies, so I try to experience one on a daily basis. But, I don’t write about the discoveries that I make, as my other writing is so topic-specific. Now I can share my interests in artists, musicians, food, politics, my love for history, and more – right here at the garden of serendipities and little fanatic attacks. NOTE: I discovered that my opinions, indeed, do matter to a few editors. Therefore I do need to state that the opinions I voice here are my own, and that they do not reflect the opinions, strategies, or positions held by any company who posts my writings both online or in print with my byline. Beyond this, I usually don’t write for companies who don’t see eye to eye with my perspectives and visa-versa, so you can feel confident that I yam what I yam and nothing more or less.