One Vs Many

Its an old equation, individuals poised against mobs. One guy's opinions/ideas/thoughts/creativity/expressions pitted against sensibilities/thought processes of many (say society). Whats right and whats wrong. Thoughts initially opposed vehemantly by masses themselves entrench into masses that they themselves become dogma. Is there anything absolute or has to be taken into perspectives of many parameters like time, geography, religion, society etc etc...
You may wonder what got me into this debate: It started with certain paintings, movies, plays being boycotted and people behind it being portrayed as protagonists by media to have carried banner of 'freedom of expressions'. I am firmly against those media favourites like shabana, javed, arundhati,.. list in india is very big. I think all real intellectuals should invite these media darlings to stand actual (not convenient..) point of reasoning... anyways
Freedom of expression comes with responsibilty. For an idea to come to its age, needs persuation and not brow beating.
We live in civilized society which makes laws and regulations for its own benefit. in absence of those, we still would have lived in caves. Now there might be some laws that may not be acceptable to few but still one has to follow them. similarly there are collective sensibilties and mannersims which cannot be depicted in legal or constitutional framework. Its duty of constitution to safeguard freedom to express against if any. But its responsibilty to incumbent to cater to collective sensibilties. Does that mean an artist has to sacrifice his thoughts and confirm to mass mentality. I firmly say No, he can still say what he wants to but he has to adapt and evolve just as companies do to make their product more suitable to customers.
There is a lesson here as art can be compared with any other trade to satisfy public's senses which are their customers. Art cannot be on its own when no one likes that...
they are not islands. They need to evolve and innovate to suit their audience...
But their freedom to express must be guaranteed and also its their responsibilty to meet ends..
its as simple issue, dont need to give any other connotations....

Derivates Markets should be banned

Welcome to the brave new world of credit derivatives driven collapses ( AIG being the first victim). A world that is far more dangerous than the world of subprime mortgage derivatives. A complex world that because of its sheer size can potentially cause more damage in a matter of days than the subprime mortgage derivatives caused in their first year in the headlines.
Compare this figure: Global economy: 55 trillion dollars
Credit Derivatives: 65 trillion dollars
Subprime derivatives: 7 trillion dollars
Now you would imagine the results if further trend continues.
Leveraging positions was found as best way to manage risk for say against variation in prices , interest rates etc... Good idea to hedge.
But what took over was a naked greed and unviable risks, unbeleivable competetion, interlinked markets ... all boons of free and globalized economy.
Proponents point out to figures as to how they have contributed to growth of overall markets and economy while shielding the risks... They claim for tighter regulation, better management as opposed to altogther ban.
But i do not think free economy has such tools to do that. Thus i am firm proponent of banning them. I am firm beleiver in "value investing" school subscribed by Warren Buffet. Sound financial advises by him are worth reading. No point in trading positions and creating artificial wealth and taking in calculable risks...
Maybe our Indian mentality of savings, averse to loans out of self respecting notions, prundent sense of value investing can be assets for us which were ridiclued as " hindu rate of growth".
Much details on this thread later..

Importance of being Rakhi Sawant

Yesterday was watching a comedy show. Raju shrivastava said, India has great tradition of great women like Rani laxmi bai, Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla,.. he added in his style 'aur Rakhi Sawant'.. There was a great laughter around. seemed funny that moment. Later i wondered what had rakhi sawant done to invite this ridicule. I mean i agree she has not done anything great in those item numbers or some vague and inane reality shows. But what is the difference between her and say topmost heroines of today say katrina or kareena (i dont know if they are at top but i know value of K in bollywood and television thus those names). They all have done item numbers. Whatmore? Moral brigade should have every complaint againt them which they have for rakhi sawant like exposure, bold scenes ( i dont have any problems there obviously..). infact in real life they portray much worse examples of hopping around with guys etc (though i have no problems as its their personal life, so be it as i am not in anyway affected.. wish i was.. alas..). So why these are called top line heriones where in all those cosmopolitan shows and comedy shows and Rakhi Sawant is being singled out for ridicule. Only reason seems like she is not so glib in communication and sounds coarse. That logic applies in urban indian circles as well. Those who lack poise in communication especially in urban indian english are subject of ridicule. Those with vernacular tastes are considered morons and communal. Another anamoly i see is from whatever i have seen, read, heard about rakhi sawant is that she is very forthright in whatever she does and says. she does not have any processing in what she thinks and does. (again experts can correct me). it seems to comeup in life she has been through hell.. she does not seems to have born with silver spoon. atleast she admits it openly and does not resort to double standards.
Culturally we have lot of double standards in public . Indian culture is filled with that. Those forthright about what they say and are consistent about what they do are always ridiculed. (by means of this i dont know veracity of rakhi sawant's claims etc). But this point is very valid.. food for thought though ... Mind it this food has lot of calories...

Rocking Memories

Weekend was fun. After a great HRD session at Table, some help for bihar victims, it was movietime. Rock On was the movie chosen based on reviews and reports from friends and colleagues.
Thoroughly enjoyed the movie (though very predictable). Music was also a great effort from my favorite group shankar ehsan loy. It took me back 14 years down the memory lane. Its been 12 years since kgp. long time. Though i dont claim to be rock artist by any definition, but i can definitely associate with mood depicted in the movie of friends, long lost friends reuniting, common interests, how life takes it course after moving on.... wide range of resemblances.
Those were the best days of my life, those four years in kgp. Hostel life started for us clubbed as freshers in VS Hall ( a new hall). Without guidance (i say orientation) from seniors, we all were newbies in the system. We enjoyed giving eye to eye , shout for shout to senior hostels in inter hostel events, movies etc. we went to senior hostels and faced orientation in 2nd year. We formed wings of chosen mates. These wings are lifelong bonds. Still am in touch with most of them. (i being odd man out for being in India). Those endless bhaat (read as chat) sessions, academics with late nights at hostel canteens, exam fever (someone in our hostel used to play om jai jagdeesh hare before exams for all to hear), friday night movies at netaji auditorium , spring fest (it was opportunity to interact with fairer sex which i captilized on), those dramatics and music practice sessions, tms shows, being secretary and governor in dramatics, those late breakfasts on weekends with great chat sessions, those long cycling to city to watch movies at some vague theatres, chai at harris, early mornings at chedis, those farewell and orientation night outs which ended up in seeing sunrise over railway lines, that network of railways, seeing gitanjali express moving reminding of how many days to go home, those job/schol treats by seniors in waldies/anarks, those cricket matches (esp indo pak world 96 world cup match) seen together, those pondy sessions weekend after exams in commonroom (with strict alerts), those weekend after mid sem exam which were greatest days, outings to calcutta to see girls, those great journeys of 36 hrs to reach kalyan and then catch another train to pune, those rides on scooter , once in pune ride to the greener pastures like FC road-deccan-MG road, those preparations for GRE/CAT, that Campus selection for one of the high paid jobs those days, those fundaes from seniors on almost everything, those early morning classes after hurried breakfast (getting up at 7:40 for class at 8), those evening ablutions with water rationing, those shit tank sessions, those midnight TT sessions/late night TV sessions, those occassions of Cutting lectures to catch up on sleep or a canteen chai, those rasgullas, those trips to tech market for rations and bank funds, those diwali days preparing for ilumination competition, those queues at STD booths to call home after every three weeks, those visits to other depmates (george, manish, nikhil, suvo) for assignments to other hostels or to rooms of bengal/niladri in own hostel, getting psyched by toppers like bhains and their academics, those afternoon offs which were treasured for sleep, those visits to hall library and insti library for books management during exams etc, those bangla bandhs resulting in holidays, those holi festivals with colors, bhaang and jilebis by profs, those hall days as opportunities to call females inside hall or to visit their hostel (no of invits were status symbols), those inter hall matches and spectator support, those preparations for hockey (we won gold), and waterpolo (we won silver), those insti gym sessions and jogging at gyan ghosh, those dinners at veggies when hall grub was pathetic, those region based gangs formed during first year (for me it was mumbai gang neil, ompa, mituna), those visits to my local guardian family, marathi association ganapati at Prof Barve's residence, manish calling gauyta from atop till ctop, railway bookings, those year end bonfires, those days in summers when some people used to do projects:it was ghost hostel with very few lights on, world cup soccer 94 seen then, patheic rides from nagpur to kalyan with 6th december republican barge-ins on trains, ncc camp in first year at Kalaikunda, Cgpa travails, quiz at sf, cycle rickshaw rides till station, results on registration day of semester, going from deps to deps for subjects and practicals, some peculiar profs and their peculiar names, styles etc, department welcomes and farewales, hall events and AGMs very noisy one with some occassional fights, technology gymkhana meetings, some student movement issues and meets, for me plays were very fond memories, those sessions when currents used to be off, roof top sessions in summers, finally my own baptism to rock music, gnr anthem, deep purple, the sf shows at OAT, eastern music ... Finally coming to point where is started.
memories are additictive... Those memories were really rocking.
Life is back with some very special friends and trying to create that magic again, been not that successful till now. But will keep trying.. Tabling moments have been fine ....

Google Vs Microsoft: is it beginning of end for MS

In its history, its been n th time this question has been asked. Will microsoft survive onslaught of google. I am firm beleiver in Microsoft. But a trend i see changing is that the better minds find google more glamourous to work for than MS. Thats a warning signal. Unless microsoft comes up with some 'next big thing' which in recent past have not been so prominent.
Google believes future in cloud computing as their big thing.
What is cloud computing? Lets get google ceo Eric schmidt's explaination:
He thinks 90% of computing can be done using this web based cloud as Internet connection speeds become faster and Internet software improves. There are certain amount of things that can’t be done in the cloud, like high-end graphics processing. So, in Google’s thinking, 90 percent of computing eventually reside in the cloud?
Microsoft challenges this in its defense.
Disruptive technologies do not destroy existing market leaders overnight. They do not get adopted by the entire market at the same time. They are not initially a viable option for mainstream users. Initially, they do not even seem to be a threat.
Disruptive technologies begin by providing a cheaper, more convenient, simpler solution that meets the needs of the low-end of the market. Low-end users don't need all the features in the Incumbent's product, so they rapidly adopt the simpler solution. Meanwhile, the Incumbent canvasses its mainstream customers, reassures itself that they want the feature-rich products, and dismisses the Disruptor as a niche player in an undesirable market segment.
But then the Disruptor improves its products, adding more features while keeping the convenience and low cost. Now the product appeals to more mainstream users, who adopt it not because it's "better" but because it's simpler and cheaper. Seeing this, the Incumbent continues adding ever more features and functionality to its core product to try to maintain its value proposition for higher end customers. And so on. Eventually, the Incumbent's product overshoots the needs of the mass market, the Disruptor grabs the mainstream customers, and, lo and behold, the technology has been "disrupted."
Microsoft had been disruptor in past. it claims to have best of both worlds. Claims to have graphics rich desktop applications (office being leader without doubt) and services as well.
I also agree this isn't a "winner take all" scenario. This is a huge market and there is room for different solutions and business models. Look at IBM. They are still a very large and successful company 30 years after they were "disrupted" by Microsoft.
But its not a question of survival but of leadership. thats what the game is all about and i agree to my learned friend anshu's observation that companies are made of people who make plans and strategies and implement them. Google seems to have that as of now... I can put my money there..
More about cloud computing simplified later..

Ganguly has a special place in History

My fascination of bengal does not seem to end having spent 4 golden years of life in sonar bangla.
Bengali sweets, festivals, culture, literarturs, films and most importantly beautiful eyes of bengali girls... they all mesmerise me. Add to that list a fighter's name: Dada..
Flashback to year 2000: venue Nairobi: A new born indian team had done wonders... Match fixing scandal had ended old guard, misplaced optimism in sachin as a leader had taken Indian cricket to ground zero... Here comes dada.. leading bunch of youngsters all the way till finals. Started winning overseas test, held aussie invincibles in India (thanks to bhajji,vvs and dravid), natwest finals, world cup finals, australia in australia, pak in pak... Till worst season of 2004 India had arrived... Maybe dada got so focussed on leading that his own performance dropped. a lesson for all us aspiring leaders...
He gave opposition eye for an eye, inspired youngsters, believed in them, put himself in line of fire to protect them, identified roles, innovated, all qualities excpet his own performance...
His own performance also has panache, grit and determination, god of offside, useful bowling. remember those offdrives, those performances in toronto against pakistan when indo pak cricket was very rare as against now. he had limitations but he managed to hold on...
Will there be another chapter to his fable. lets wait and watch, esp with Dada you never know. Never count him out of match...

Round Table Bond

Publishing on this forum my own article published in Table talk a magazine by Round table India.
Round Table India is organization which i am member of (i won the best sceretary award last year). its a organization of people aged between 18 and 40. Idea is fellowship and mission is to educate 1 million children (an issue close to heart). More about it later.

Round table Bond

“My name is Bond, James Bond” says Scotsman Sean Connery on screen and everybody is thrilled. I am an avid James Bond movie fan and I am sure many of us are… This Bond intro which sounds so macho and is immortalized adds to ever growing charisma to his character. On same lines, I feel the Round table bond that I have entered into a year back has added charisma to my life. Let me tell you about my own encounter with this charismatic Round Table Bond with the difference from any other friendship bond.

But before I do that, I have a theory which analyses of how we end up with our friends. In life we share friendship bond with people with common interest and goals. It starts with neighborhood and school mates which in some cases turn out to life long bonding. The common need here is to spend non school or school time to play or enjoy depending on either neighbor or school friendship bonds respectively. In school cases there is also a peer pressure to study, excel, and compete which adds a serious dimension to the bondage. It is the chance/destiny etc that bonds the group together and its up to individual choice to make most out of the bond… Luck plays a major role and there is always an expectancy of symbiosis that nurtures the bondage.

As one grows it’s the college, hostels take over the friendship bondage. Here it’s a vocational/professional choice which defines the group and provides a serious avenue to relax or compete depending on the group. For me hostel life was the best part of life, secluded in a god forbid place at Kharagpur, we had only hostel wing mates to get along and away from urbane entertainment. It was all about channeling those into lifelong bonds. But also there was professional or egotistic competition underlying be it to get a US scholarship, or a dream job or IIM admission.

Next stage comes in as, office/business peers. In whatever profession or business you are, you need business peers or colleagues to share your professional notes. Here the family comes into picture. You cannot choose your colleagues (your company does it for you). In business partnerships are like marriages, carefully selected by you based upon your dynamics. There is a common tag of profession, money, stakes involved.

There are other ‘catchment’ areas of friends (IPL phrase), like sports and social clubs, interest groups which also have common interest bonds but these kinds of bonds are enjoyed by few privileged ones.

Significant avenues also arise when your kids grow, their friends and their parents etc when your kids repeat your cycle.

Having analyzed all other friendship bonds let me narrate my own encounter with this “Bond”.

Now here I was with all the baggage of friends accumulated over above cycle when someone (who falls into one of the categories above), introduced me to the table bond.

I first thought it to be a group, held together by business networking agenda having a social face, coupled with an ambition to be ‘identified’ in social circuits. Here after a journey of a year and having seen the experience around, I feel the bonding here has some independent and differentiating features than all above bonds mentioned above.

The most important thread here is there is no underlying prominent thread of professional interests. Though there might have been cases of using mutual professional expertise or network for some unrelated cause, but idea here is to have fun primarily. It allows an opportunity to let down your guards, be at peace and just hang around as we used to do in hostels (but without any commonality of exams, interviews).

There is a cause involved which is very appealing. The cause of children is so universal and appealing that hardened cynics can also not run away from it. That provides a fee good factor at the end of it. Though the extent of work done, initiatives differ across the tabling fraternity, the reason gives a kind of feel good that is needed at the end of your professional life. Also the fact that our table 105 has one of the biggest projects ever undertaken in table fraternity adds to that quotient. One of another reason I got introduced to tabling was my visit to a rural school which needed funds. Though I cannot say that I have fulfilled that dream but I am optimistic that one day I will. As Famous quote of KBC says: World lives on hope…

Then the most important aspect of table bond which differentiates this bond from all the bonds mentioned here is the HRD angle. It allows you to learn from all your group members with their facets of public, individual, professional capabilities. Though one can argue that business groups, industry associations also can render similar perspectives but they lack diversity of nature that Round table bond can offer. The perspective from other tablers, boards adds to the learning curve. Education is continuous, and round table offered me that while I always intended to have fun.

And finally what has added to my life is a team of people who feel like calling me or when I feel calling them whenever there is something significant happening in my or their lives; good or bad. Be it as trivial as a world cup /IPL final or be it as serious as when someone is hospitalized. If you are at some good place you feel like telling someone that ‘I wish you were here’. If you are down you feel like joining the group and hang around to cheer you up. Beauty is that when nothing happens or after a small but extended hiatus in meetings, you feel like calling and asking what’s happening.

Comparing to other bonds, the selection of friend has combination of luck, choice and acceptability to group which is the most important aspect.

Eye wash about car wash

Back after weekend of fun at my parents place to celebrate the festival. Fresh with 2Kgs added owing to sweets, puranpolis etc. Felt a need to rush to Solaris to get a mental satisfaction of a workout.
was in my lobby, and i saw two guys filling buckets, one guy with a hose pipe indulging in car wash. i my colony there are atleast 60 cars. assuming average 10 lit per car (moderate estimate), my society uses potable water of almost 600 lits of water. I have a guess that pune has 400000 cars in pune.
Assuming that 75% of them wash daily. (conservative estimate). So every day 3000000 (3 million litres of water)
Who cares , whats the solution:
Cars have to be washed (i being an owner feel this need), Water processing at society outlets for non toilet drains (need expert advice from civil engineers), Rainwater harvesting, bore water,
And i have read somewhere some native tribes in remote parts walk over 15km to get 2 litres of water to drink....
think about those guys all we car owners in cities....

Paradox about floods and famines in India

Have a look at 2 pictures
North India perenially in floods
South India most of the times craving for rains for irrigation etc.
Can this divide be removed? Can we have a better mechanism to prevail over natures hardships
Was reading some alarming situation for India as its in natures zone where climate changes will impact hard.
Dooms day predictions will be not far away (already they say that for coastal cities like Mumbai and Chennai)
and what are our politicians busy about
Nuclear energy: is that top priority? one would doubt ( esp with my earlier posting about energy)
election dates? whats the big deal for us if A Govt goes and B comes In . I agree that NDA govt atleast did something : Road projects, thoughts about river linking, delhi metro..., UPA is nightmare inspite of having Manmohan singh and P Chidambaram (2 best minds around). But politics was hopeless with political morons without taking names at helms. but need to specially mention commies (why do they still exist..) whom i just cannot stand . with media heavily controlled by JNU grads with deep leftist (again why do they still exist..) we had to bear with them at helm for 4 years. Thank got for the vote of trust.
Coming back to the desire to fight natural calamities , possible advanced planning. does this exist ?
We need to evaluate feasibilty of Inter bed river linking projects (its possibily a political dynamite if exploded can destroy structure of india) . so proper dealing from matured politicians is needed.
Disaster management, prewarning systems, better infrastructure and planning are some complusory functions.
In India Human Life has no value nor does human well being..
when this will change..
Need few good leaders, few real nayak (and not the author's self proclaimed instincts as well)
we cannot though wait for Godot, all have to rise, starting with me. Thus the blog, and thats not enough, action man...

From Darkness to light (and back..)

They say that knowledge enlightens and removes obstacles. Its true that mankind has been really benefitted by knowledge and the boons have benefitted millions. ( banes can be addressed in different posting). We had a lesson in junior college about how innovation and knowledge helps econmony and progress. (will need to find details though as i dont recollect those). Having said that in our school days we used to hear claims of 100% electrification of states. Hariyana was the first and maharashta was very close. During our treks to remotest corners of Maharashtra, i used to admire the board to make electricity available for even a small temple on a very high and inaccessabe fort. Blackouts were rare and we used to yearn for those 1-2 hrs which used to give us opportunity to move away from studies and play some antakshari etc. I can recollect this to happen once a month maybe. And whole day electricity outage was only in industrial zones, though i recollect friday outs in Dombivali etc. Though definitely not impeccable services, i dont recollect load shedding being done anytime till 2004 as blatantly as it is these day...
Why this total mismanagement of demand Vs supply, why no one is able to throw any light on the schedules (no pun intended), its absolutely pathetic.. No capacities were added, no planning was done
I can understand argument about unplanned growth in demand. But this demand cannot be created overnight. Why are we giving new connections when we cannot service old (that does not mean i support ,new connections not to be given) But its simple planning, some foresight and mainly initiative. Why cannnot governments be proactive and stop pay only lip services.
No point is hitting the usual suspect as all of us surely are just pointing out mistakes:
what government needs to do is something i feel need experts to contribute. Promising you of some research and immediate action points..
Here are my 5 cents on what can we do and how we can improve situation individually:

• Use of alternate electricity sources: solar , Bgas; Government subsidizes the equipment and loans etc. (promising a new posting dedicated to it)
• Creating watchdog units in the city to pressurise the board to structure and schedule the laod shedding timings and execution.
• Gensets and UPS are inevitable for businesses. Pooling up in small/mid segment companies to share the backup.
• Creating a platform (online) for power saving suggestions and sharing marketplace.
• Implementing power saving initiatives extensively.
• Pray to lord of knowledge that govt starts micro and macro level planning.

My story also has a long fight against load shedding. 13th dec 2004 was the date when my most significant associate landed from US to explore giving me a business opportunity. Load shedding in Pune stared from that very date. Right from that day when i managed to take him in office during non load shedding hrs, 2 years i fought and did well to innovate working timings , UPS backups, seminar sessions, to manage show and finally my big contract went into next level of stakeholding on very date in 2006 that Pune model was introduced to remove load shedding.

seems like we are back towards darkness, but guys need to fight this. We cannot giveup..

Please note though its a minor (though significant) problem for individuals, spare a though for small entrepreuners whose livelihood depends on this problem. As a society we should give due to emerging entrepreuners..

Start as we call it Shri Ganesha

Memories are addictive. Once you get on that track, its very tough to back out...
Remembering those childhood ganesha days, preparing to decorate the dias, practicing for plays, contributions, prasads, aartis....
It was fun. Regret that i cannot transmit those to my second generation inspite of being in India and that too in Pune. Maybe His wish...
Today is another ganesha, another year has gone by, has life changed for me, not much...
Hope to be where i want to be by the next ganesha... its unending quest. what bothers you most? Lack of self actualization will be on top, missed opportunities next ( while on other hand we miss to appreciate what we have and what we did manage to achieve).. Thoda our wish karo...
Welcome to post liberalization India...
Has ganesha changed , yes: it has. Gone more commercial, more as an avenue for local nicompoop politicians to take credit rolls, youths to jive on music, drinks etc, public to find something new in their routine and be a part of public sentiment, and some religious beliefs, period..
Privately, still it has its old charm only restricted till own neighbourhood.
Potential is great as identified by the festival founder. Still a lot can be done
1. Streamline all mandals under a central city council (Municipal corporation)
2. Identify one celebration under each muncipal ward.
3. The corporater, ward officer, and there will be randon selection of 10 citizens out of turn (5 ladies 5 gents) will form a committee.
4. they will collect funds (not more than Rs 50 per house) and use it
5. There should be one social initiative compulsory, rest optional which should consist of 30% of funds acrued.
6. Remaining division 0f 20% religious, 20% cultural, 20% decoration, 10% on administration
7. All this should be audited..
I know all this is utopian and cannot be imposed in demo(mobo) cracy in India. It has to be exemplified voluntarily by some sensible heads.
anyways each problem has a solution...
thats my 5 cents ...
Bye need to install home ganesha.

Welcome to Nayak Giri

One more succumbed to blogging craze.
what brought me here; Love to express myself, a desire to ger heard, attempt to make changes around me (ofcourse positive) and care for all. Maybe combination of all and add to that an inherant selfish ego to be felt as leader.... (i subscribe to ayn rand school of thoughts so feel no shame in admitting that motives are internally driven always and selflessness does not exist)
To dwelve upon genesis of nayakgiri, we have to turn clock around by say 18 year: circa 1990.
I was a school boy who had just found a knack to score good at exams, was always a non performer at school , always eclipsed by an apple of eye sibling, had found nationalism as a new found confidence to beat the world. Ramjanmabhoomi was at its peak, cricket nationalism, muddled politics after 89 elections.. And one day there was a talk on Nostradamus predictions of great indian era lead by so call chiron.. I felt that i was chiron (so kiddish.. still i am sometimes)
I wanted to be a leader of masses... 18 years later, after an ego boosting IIT experience, a roller coaster ride in business definitely as a good leader i can rate and attempts to be part of IT story, and a brief sojourn in social causes, here i am back with a new optimism...
In IIT i was nick named as nayak (north indian pronounciation of my marathi surname Naik)
some used to call me khalnayak...
So thus the name: nayakgiri..
lets see how it goes from here... Picture ab shuru huan hain mere dost..
Also to be noted is auspicious eve of ganesh chaturthi when traditionally we get lord ganesh idol home.. Though not a believer, these notions feel good. Human weakness maybe but it helps to identify with notions, give lot of confidence...