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Clara care

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

Jul 22 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

Meet my cast of characters :

Do you see yourself or someone you know in them?

Clara care: committed concern

Character : 3 / 15

“Clara” is a classic, kind name, and “Care” directly reflects her defining quality of deep concern for others.

This individual embodies “committed concern,” showing a deep dedication to helping others. Their warm smile and attentive posture suggest they genuinely care. They are likely reliable and persistent in addressing issues or supporting those in need.

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SELVAN

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

Jul 19 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

Meet my cast of characters :

Do you see yourself or someone you know in them?

Chill Selvan: cool, we can manage!

Character : 2 / 15

“Selvan ” is a cool, soothing name, and “Chill” perfectly captures his relaxed and unfazed demeanor.

This person, with a “cool, will manage” attitude, exudes confidence and a relaxed demeanor. They appear unfazed by challenges, believing they can handle anything that comes their way. Their thumbs-up gesture reinforces their optimistic and can-do approach to situations.

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Zara Swift: the fast finisher

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

Jul 16 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

Meet my cast of characters :

Do you see yourself or someone you know in them?

Zara Swift: the fast finisher

Character : 1 / 15

Zara Swift: “Zara” is a sharp and energetic name, and “Swift” directly refers to her speed in completing tasks.

This individual is a true “fast finisher,” quickly completing tasks with impressive speed. They show intense focus and determination, clearing their desk of work in a blur of activity. Their energetic approach ensures that assignments are wrapped up efficiently.

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bed for poem~2

Beneath the slumber

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

Jul 14 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

Beneath the slumber

The bed, a soul-friend, true and deep,

our mind and body it does carry

through years of nights, and days so few

sharing thoughts and time only we knew!

 

As sun descends, we seek its grace,

to sway to sleep, or find our space.

To slip away, or try to rest,

while worries swirl within our zest.

 

Days simmer low, in light or shade,

of unexpected paths unmade.

For dear or near, anxieties bloom,

felt only by the patience of bed.

 

When sick or tired, it does its part,

to ease our pain, and soothe our heart.

Be it good or bad, the day’s long turn,

the bed is there, its care to learn.

 

The dawn arrives, a gentle hue,

awakening many days for us.

Some mornings cling, we wish to stay,

some nights demand we go away.

 

Wake up to news, both joy and dread,

known only by this silent bed.

Our deepest dreams, within its hold,

where stories of our life unfold.

 

It sees we cry, it hears our glee,

A kiss, a shout, for all to see.

With tender caress, a bond so strong,

like life’s own breath, where you belong.

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Tribute to Campuses: Shaping lives!

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

MAY 24 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

Tribute to Campuses: Shaping lives!

Campuses, the places where we learn and work, visibly influence our outlook and happiness, offering cherished memories for a dynamic life. They are like extended homes for a wishful mind, available to us to refresh at any moment, helping us to think and be happy, no matter where we are.

The three campuses I’ve had the privilege to experience (chosen from many) are the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (COVAS), Mannuthy, Kerala (where I completed my undergraduate and postgraduate courses and began my career as an Assistant Professor), The University of Reading, UK (where I pursued my PhD and postdoc, and later visited as a researcher), and the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER), Puducherry (as Faculty and Dean)

At COVAS, Mannuthy, 1987

COVAS, Mannuthy

The sunsets viewed from the men’s hostel (the only one at the time), the verdant corridor of trees beside the lovely green stadium, and the small hill behind the campus, accessible by crossing the canal, make COVAS a truly unique life experience. The transformation from teenager to young adult, the newfound freedom with lifelong friends, and the wonderful, connected faculty and staff all contribute to the freshness and richness of being on that campus. These experiences shape us for the future. All our loves—studies, sports, arts, friends, fun, tours, classes, outings—blend seamlessly within the wider canvas of a campus that truly lives.

At Whiteknights Lake, Reading, UK 1991

The University of Reading, UK

The landscape with Whiteknights Lake at its heart offers a stunning view, and daily walks within its grounds open up new perspectives. The changing seasons—spring with its vibrant tulips, summer with lush green grass and trees, autumn with yellowish-brown leaves gracefully falling, and winter with days when the lake freezes over, allowing geese and ducks to walk on the ice—have been odes to this campus. Every season holds sweet sentiments that linger through the years as you live.

Canteen Garden, RIVER, 2020

RIVER, Puducherry

RIVER boasts a sprawling green campus with buildings nestled like small mushrooms within a verdant forest. The trees, predominantly neem, provide much-needed freshness throughout the day as we walk and work. The fruit trees, herbal garden, canteen garden, the pond, and the animal rehabilitation enclosure all embody a philosophy of “growing with the green.”

“Campuses truly remain with us!”

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Book Review by S. Ramkumar

Book Review

April 19 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

CARELESS PEOPLE
Sarah Wynn-Williams

Sarah Wynn-Williams’ “Careless People – A story of where I used to work. Power. Greed. Madness.” (MACMILLAN, 2025) isn’t just a tell-all; it’s a stark, first-hand account of the forces that shaped the behemoth we now know as Meta. Through the eyes of a former insider, this book offers a compelling and often unsettling glimpse behind the polished facade of the world’s largest social network.

Wynn-Williams joined Facebook in its pivotal early years, 2011, drawn by the allure of working alongside tech luminaries like Zuckerberg and Sandberg. Her initial experiences, vividly recounted in 42 diary-like chapters brimming with sharp observations and surprising humor, paint a picture of a company driven by audacious ambition and a relentless pursuit of growth in connections. We witness her first-hand contributions to Facebook’s global expansion, a period marked by a seemingly unwavering belief in its mission.

However, “Careless People” takes a sharp turn as Wynn-Williams’ insider perspective deepens. The initial excitement gives way to a growing unease, a sense of “surprise, uncertainties, and shocks” as the true operational ethos and long-term strategies come into focus. The book unflinchingly exposes a culture where the pursuit of growth allegedly outplayed ethical considerations, a sentiment starkly captured by the company’s “move fast break things” mantra. As the review highlights, Wynn-Williams’ narrative reveals a world of “wild schemes” and a potentially reckless disregard for consequences, both personal and political.

There are many instances of  inherent paradoxes within this powerful ecosystem mentioned. The anecdote regarding Silicon Valley executives advocating screen-free childhoods for their own children while presiding over a platform designed to capture attention is particularly chilling. It underscores a potential awareness of the very harms their creation might inflict.

Ultimately, “Careless People” appears to be more than just a memoir; it’s a cautionary tale. Wynn-Williams’ departure, stemming from “alarming situations,” suggests a profound disillusionment with the values driving Facebook’s ascent. This book, through its insider lens, promises to unveil a culture allegedly defined by an insatiable hunger for wealth and a manipulative approach to achieving it. For anyone seeking to understand the human cost behind the digital revolution and the unseen forces shaping our interconnected world, “Careless People” seems like an essential, if potentially disturbing, read.

It unmask the faces!

(To a review of the book in The Guardian, Meta has responded to Wynn-Williams’ book, calling it “a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives”.)

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CARE , TRUST , BELIEF

Stray and random thoughts

April 2 ,2025

Prof. S. Ramkumar

CARE , TRUST , BELIEF

CARE is that inner love, which can be expressed in many ways or even exist quietly within.

TRUST is an inherent sense of the other person’s truthfulness.

BELIEF is the personal understanding and perception of who the other person is.

Each of these seems to build upon the other, inter se . For example, care might inspire you to extend trust, and trust can strengthen your belief in the other person’s character and intentions.

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Relationships

Stray and random thoughts

April 1 ,2025

Prof. S. Ramkumar

Relationships

Relationships are built and maintained by the varying degrees of CARE, TRUST and BELIEF, we have for others.

Before getting agitated, frustrated, angry, disappointed or upset on a relationship, think how the three factors relate, and mean to you, in that situation, to move forward.

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EDUCATION,Drowning in Examinations!

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

January 29 ,2025

Prof. S. Ramkumar

EDUCATION

EDUCATION,
Drowning in Examinations!

Where is the Education,
we have lost in Examination?
Where is the examination,
we have lost in entrance tests?

The heavy backpacks of school education cease to experience the joy of myriad of subjects that paints the Universe! The creativity of children gets dissolved in “conformity” of a class, to have the convenience of uniformity spread among all.

Every young mind is tuned into “examinations” and the “judgment- day” of results , from day one of their Schooling (from LKG). We are evolving ourselves into a society of dominant “examination system” that eclipses primary purpose of curiosity and joy of Education.

Make Education enjoyable, within the incessant examinations!
This is the challenge for good teachers and caring parents!
“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
                                                          -T. S. Eliot (1922)

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