BusinessInsider.com just analyzed Census data to figure out how the average American spends their day. Here’s the full breakdown . . .

*Sleeping, eight hours and 48 minutes.

*Working, three hours and 36 minutes. That’s because weekends and unemployed people pull the average way down.

*Watching TV, two hours and 49 minutes.

*Doing stuff around the house, one hour and 46 minutes.

*Leisure activities like surfing the internet, one hour and 29 minutes.

*Eating and drinking, one hour and 10 minutes.

*Personal care, including showering, 47 minutes.

*Shopping, 44 minutes.

*Taking care of and helping other people, 43 minutes.

*Socializing and communicating, 43 minutes.

*Activities like going to church, 33 minutes.

*Education, 25 minutes.

*Exercise and sports, 17 minutes.

*Communicating over the phone, text, and email, eight minutes.

(That comes out to about 24 hours and nine minutes, because of rounding.)

(Business Insider)

Summer officially starts this Sunday. According to eye doctors, here are five tips for buying a good pair of sunglasses . . .

1. Make sure they have 100% U.V. protection. U.V. rays are radiation from the sun that can make you develop cataracts. And a survey last year found less than half of us check the U.V. sticker on sunglasses before we buy them.

So check the tag the next time you buy a cheap pair at a gas station. Some of those only block about 40% of U.V. rays.

2. Big sunglasses are better, because they keep more of the U.V. rays out. Ideally they should be oversized, and wrap around your face.

3. The color of the lenses doesn’t matter, and neither does how dark they are. Lighter lenses can still block all of the U.V. rays.

4. Polarized lenses reduce glare, not necessarily U.V. exposure. So if you’re buying polarized sunglasses, make sure they block 100% of U.V. rays too.

5. Don’t break the bank. You don’t have to spend a hundred bucks to protect your eyes. $10 sunglasses with 100% U.V. protection work just as well.

(PR Newswire)

For 24 hours on May 5^th, 2015, the region will again come together for a BIG Day of Giving to demonstrate our generosity. With a goal to raise $5 million from 25,000 donors for over 500 nonprofits, the Sacramento region will join hundreds of community foundations across the country in a 24 hour giving challenge as part of the national campaign called Give Local America. To participate, local donors can go to www.bigdayofgiving.org to give and support the nonprofits that lift up lives and make this the place we call home.

If you could use some extra cash, the website Credit.com posted a list of the best part-time jobs that pay well. Here are the top seven . . .

1. Uber driver. They make between $15 and $30 an hour. You need a decent car though, and have to pass a background check.

2. Bartender. You can make anywhere from $10 to $75 an hour, depending on the bar.

3. Office professional, meaning a temp. They usually make $20 to $30 an hour. But if you’re really good at something like Quickbooks, you can make more.

4. Babysitter, $13 to $18 an hour. Or more depending on who you’re babysitting for. If you do it through an agency, you usually have to get CPR training and pass a drug test.

5. Part-time web designer. Depending on how good you are, you can make anywhere from $20 an hour to $150 an hour.

6. Dog walker, $15 to $75 an hour. But that higher number is if you’re walking more than one dog at a time.

7. Tutor. The really good ones make up to $200 an hour.

(Credit.com)

It’s nice to see a list of things that make us feel good that doesn’t include donuts, porn, cocaine, social media, or punching someone in the face. Maybe we’re NOT crumbling as a society?

A new survey asked 2,000 people to name random little things that make them feel great. Here are the top 10 . . .

1. Sleeping on clean sheets.

2. Feeling the sun on your face.

3. Hearing someone say “Thank you.”

4. Finding money.

5. Having a little time to yourself.

6. Laughing hard.

7. Cuddling on the couch.

8. Fresh bread.

9. Doing something for someone else.

10. Feeling clean after a shower.

(Daily Mail)

(You can see the top 50 here. It’s a British survey, so a few might not apply.

Before you take down a bag of chips when you need a snack today, see if anything on this list appeals to you. Someone came up with the ten easiest things to snack on at your desk, that are also cheap AND healthy.

1. Almonds. They fill you up, because they have more fiber than other nuts.

2. Low-fat popcorn.

3. Fresh fruit or dried fruit.

4. Dry cereal. Just make sure it’s somewhat healthy. Don’t scarf down a box of Lucky Charms.

5. Protein bars. Look for one that’s under 200 calories, and has fruit and nuts in it.

6. Pretzels. Just don’t eat too many.

7. A frozen banana. Which is good for summer.

8. String cheese or cottage cheese. The protein keeps your blood sugar stable, so you don’t get tired.

9. Vegetables and hummus. The chickpeas in the hummus have a lot of fiber, protein, calcium, and iron.

10. Apples with peanut butter. Just don’t overdo it with the peanut butter. If you want to be extra healthy, go with almond butter instead.

(Business Insider)

FULL STORY: Triple-A recently looked at 1,700 car crashes where teenagers were driving, and texting WASN’T the number one cause . . . but it was up there. Here are the top ten things that distract teenage drivers . . .

1. Interacting with other passengers, 14.9%. Which is why it’s so dangerous for kids to drive around with a car full of friends.

2. Using their cellphone . . . so texting, talking, and GPS, 11.9%.

3. Getting distracted by something else in the car, 10.6%.

4. Getting distracted by something OUTSIDE the car, 9%.

5. Singing or dancing in their seat, 7.7%.

6. Reaching for an object, 5.6%.

7. Personal grooming . . . meaning looking in the mirror, or doing their make-up, 5.5%.

8. Getting distracted by a pedestrian or another driver, 4.4%.

9. Taking their eyes off the road to operate the controls, 3.3%.

10. Eating or drinking, 1.7%.

(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)

According to a 2013 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, more than a quarter of working Americans qualify for some type of student loan FORGIVENESS from the government. But almost no one applies for it.

Here are four ways you might be able to make your student loans go away.

1. Loan forgiveness for health care workers. You might have to move to an area that doesn’t have enough doctors and nurses. But there are government programs that will pay off tens of thousands of dollars in student debt if you’re willing to.

2. You can have a Perkins loan forgiven if you haven’t paid it back within five years. You have to fit certain criteria, but a lot of people do. Firefighters, soldiers, lawyers, and even people who’ve worked at Head Start can qualify.

3. Teacher loan forgiveness programs. If you’re a teacher who’s willing to work at an underprivileged school, there are a few different government programs that will repay your loans for you.

4. “Total and Permanent Disability Discharge.” Basically if you’ve been on disability for more than five years . . . and it’s reasonable to assume you’ll be on it ANOTHER five years . . . you might be able to get your student loans forgiven.

(Credit.com)

With all the TV and Internet time we log, it’s amazing we’re not all drooling IDIOTS. Or maybe we are? Anyway, here are five weird signs you’re ABOVE average intelligence . . .

1. You’re the oldest child. A study in 2007 found the oldest child in a family tends to have a slightly higher I.Q. . . . about three points, on average.

2. You don’t smoke. A study in 2010 found that smokers between 18 and 21 had an average I.Q. of 94 . . . while the average non-smoker’s I.Q. was 101. And people who smoked more than a pack a day had an average I.Q. of just 90.

3. You have a cat. A study last year found that dog people tend to be more outgoing. But cat people tend to be smarter.

4. Your mom breast-fed you. Two recent studies found that kids who were breast-fed had I.Q.’s that were seven points higher than kids who weren’t.

5. You’re tall. This one’s controversial, because obviously there are plenty of short people out there who are smart . . . and plenty of tall morons. But a 2008 study at Princeton found that taller kids tend to do better on cognitive tests.

(Business Insider)