zand

I can't recommend San Jose, especially the eastern side, unless all you do after leaving the office is sleep.

You make a valid point, which had occurred to me at the time, and after living here a bit longer I fully understand how easy (necessary?) it is to desensitize to those in need. But remember I was well-dressed, articulate and (mostly) sober.

It all worked out in the end, just struck me as a bit disturbing: What if I'd been physically harmed? Would your average stranger be more or less likely to lend a hand?

"As above, it’s easy to meet people through work or a common interest, but harder to meet random friendly strangers. Rarely in San Francisco has a kindness been done to me by a stranger..."

This statement was demonstrated all too literally for me my first night out in SF as a proud, newly minted resident:

It was a Friday night out with co-workers at my new job, and I had a blast. Really felt like it was easy to click with people, and that they were all so much more interesting than the "d-bags" I'm used to pretending to get along with at bars. Then again, these were co-workers--all very talented in their own right--and probably not an accurate sample.

Contrast with what happened immediately following: on the way out of the bar, at around midnight (not too late), I was stopped and robbed by a gang. Mind you, this was a nice part of a "safe" neighborhood (Castro). Bad luck I guess, but the worst of it was trying to find a sympathetic soul to (at the very least) let me use a phone. As soon as it was apparent that I needed assistance, this well-dressed twentysomething became invisible. Even the cops couldn't have been less helpful, and thought it best to drop me off where it had happened.

In most other cities I've been to around the world, I can't imagine folks being so apathetic.

Indeed, 90 minutes/day is just not necessary, unless the goal is training for sport or competition.

In fact, the HN crowd in particular might benefit from the compressed workout routine known as CrossFit. The workouts seldom take longer than 30 minutes--usually less--and have the combined benefit of training strength and cardio-vascular fitness. Mental toughness place a BIG role here, too. (Think: Better, Faster, Stronger)

Check it out: http://www.crossfit.com/

Each WOD ("Workout Of the Day") is different than the last, and all of the exercises can be done at a park or in a home/garage gym. Any equipment used has DIY instructions to build rather than buy. In short, it's perfect for us entrepreneur-types who are [by necessity] so stingy with our time and money.

A quote from one of the CrossFit founders/coaches best sums up its benefits: "Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and are more useful in general." -Mark Rippetoe