Vincent van Gogh’s yellow bedroom

Vincent van Gogh, ’Bedroom in Arles’, 1888 — 1889

In 1888, van Gogh purchased a small studio in Arles, the South of France, where he was hiding from Parisian artists and critics. That October, he began to paint his ’’Bedroom in Arles.’’ The colour palette and overall cosiness were important aspects of the painting; his room was meant to symbolise comfort and security.
Van Gogh’s specialists have a different explanation for such an unusual colour scheme. While painting this piece, he was taking digitalis that helped him fight his epilepsy. This drug makes it very difficult to perceive colour. That’s why the surroundings appear to be yellow and green.

The mysterious giant stone spheres of Costa Rica

The giant stone spheres of Costa Rica

These mysterious stone formations are intriguing not only for their perfectly spherical shape, but also on account of their unknown origins and purpose. They were discovered in the 1930s by workers clearing the jungle from a banana plantation. Local legends suggested that the mysterious spheres contained hidden gold, but they turned out to be empty.

Your Eyes Are Trying to Tell You About Your Health

An old saying claims that the eyes are the windows of the soul. No one knows where this phrase came from, but nevertheless today we know for sure that eyes can tell a lot about us and show our health condition.
We at Bright Side decided to share these observations with you.

1. Permanent sty

If you’ve ever had a sty, you know the pain and irritation it causes. A lump on the eyelid appears due to a blocked sebaceous gland and usually goes away within a few days, but it may persist, causing serious inconveniences.
If a sty pops up often or persists for a long time, it can be a symptom of sebaceous gland carcinoma. If you notice that it doesn’t heal or appears in the same place, it’s time to visit a doctor.

2. Eyebrow loss

© freepik  

There are lots of reasons for eyebrow loss: aging, stress, or nutrient deficiency. Alopecia areata, or spot baldness, can be another reason, though it affects no more than 0.1% of the population.
A more plausible reason for eyebrow loss is hypothyroidism — an acute shortage of thyroid hormones that in extreme cases can lead to hair loss. So if your hair is thinning, it’s better to visit your doctor and check the state of your thyroid gland.

3. Blurred vision

      

Many of us spend hours on computers at home or at work, which causes burning eyes or blurred vision. Nowadays this situation occurs so often that there’s a special term in medical practice that describes vision problems connected with prolonged computer, cell phone, or e-book use: “digital eye strain“ or ”dry eye syndrome." If you recognize these symptoms, discuss with your doctor the ways to solve this problem.

4. Blind spots

 

It’s always frightening to notice a blind spot in your vision. This may pretty often point at migraine with aura, especially if the picture you get is accompanied by sparkling dots or wavy lines. Typically, blind spots go together with headaches.
If such symptoms sound even too familiar for you, call your doctor to learn what triggers the problem.

5. Bulging eyes

We have all had times when our eyes seemed to betray us. We rub them or blink several times, and our vision seems to become clear again. But if you constantly feel some sort of expansion in your eyes, it can be a symptom of thyroid (or Graves) eye disease. It means your thyroid is overactive.
Difficulties closing the eyes is one of the symptoms which can make the eyes appear to bulge. It occurs in 30% of cases, so if you see something like that, call your doctor immediately.

6. Yellow whites

Every day we spend time looking in the mirror, so it’s unlikely we can miss this problem.
Both adults and newborns with undeveloped liver function may face jaundice. It may also be connected with the state of a gallbladder or bile ducts. So if you see your whites becoming yellow, don’t ignore it — rush to find the reason.

7. Cloudy vision with diabetes

People with diabetes have to pay special attention to their health, and vision is one of the things they keep tabs on. One such problem is diabetic retinopathy — a state caused by damage to blood vessels in the photosensitive retina tissue. It may be the reason of "cloudy" vision. This problem should be taken seriously: one should contact a specialist at the onset of symptoms.

8. Impaired or cloudy vision, vision loss

        

Any vision change is an alarm bell that requires an instant response. And if you notice your vision suddenly impaired, clouded, or even disappearing for a moment, seek medical help immediately because these symptoms are often the first signs of a stroke.

10 Ways to Search Google for Information

10 Ways to Search Google for Information That 96% of People Don’t Know About

In our era of advanced technology and high-speed Internet connections, you can find information on virtually anything. In the space of just a few minutes, we can find recipes for the tastiest pie or learn all about the theory of wave-particle duality.

But more often than not, we have to sift through a vast body of knowledge to get the information we need, and this can take hours rather than minutes. This is why Bright Side has put together a list of the most effective methods for searching Google to help you find the precious material you’re looking for in just a couple of clicks.

1. Either this or that

Sometimes we’re not sure that we’ve correctly remembered the information or the name we need to start our search. But this doesn’t have to be a problem! Simply put in a few potential variations of what you’re looking for, and separate them by typing the “|“ symbol. Instead of this symbol you can also use ”or." Then it’s easy enough to choose the result that makes the most sense.

2. Searching using synonyms

Our language is rich in synonyms. Sometimes this can be very convenient when doing research online. If you need to find websites on a given subject rather than those that include a specific phrase, add the "~" symbol to your search.

For example, if you search for the term "healthy ~food" you’ll get results about the principles of healthy eating, cooking recipes, as well as healthy dining options.

3. Searching within websites

Sometimes you read an interesting article on a website and find yourself subsequently wanting to share it with your friends or simply reread it. The easiest way to find the desired piece of information again is to search within the website. To do this, type the address of the site, then a key word or entire phrase from the article, and it should come up immediately.

4. The power of the asterisk

When our cunning memory decides to prevent us from recalling that one key word, phrase, or number we need in order to find what we’re looking for, you can turn to the powerful "*" symbol. Just use this in the place of the word/phrase you can’t remember, and you should be able to find the results you’re looking for.

5. When lots of words are missing

If it’s the lengthier half of the phrase you can’t remember rather than a single key word, try writing out the first and last words and putting “AROUND + (the approximate number of missing words)“ between them. For example, ”I wandered AROUND(4) cloud."

6. Using a time frame

Sometimes we urgently need to acquaint ourselves with events that occurred during a certain period of time. To do so, you can add a time frame to your search query with the help of three dots between the dates. For example, if we want to find out about scientific discoveries during the 20th century, we can write:

7. Searching for a title or URL

To help find the key words and name of an article, type “intitle:“ before the search term, without any spaces between them. In order to find the words from a URL, use ”inurl:".

8. Finding similar websites

If you’ve found something you really like online and want to find similar websites, type in "related:" and then the address of the site, again without a space between them.

9. Whole phrases

Framing the search term within quotation marks is the simplest and most effective way to find something specific and in the exact order you typed it in.

For example, if you type in the words I’m picking up good vibrations without quotation marks, the search engine will show the results where these words appear in any order on a website, as opposed to the specific order in which you typed them.

If, on the other hand, you type "I’m picking up good vibrations" within quotation marks, you’ll get only those results where these words appear only in the order you typed them in. This is a great way to find the lyrics to a song when you only know one line from it.

10. Unimportant search words

To remove unimportant search words from your query, simply write a minus symbol before each one. For example, if you want to find a site about interesting books, but you aren’t looking to buy them, you can write the following:

     
Source: Brightside.m

12 Companies that Will Pay You To Test Websites from Home

1. UserTesting – This company is currently hiring website testers nationwide. You are rewarded $10 cash for every 10-15  minute test you complete. No webcam is needed.
2. Whatusersdo – Pay is $8 or more via Paypal. Test takes around 15-20 minutes to complete. You must have a Mac or PC, Internet access and microphone.
3. UserTest – Pay is $10.50 per test study. It’s completely free to join and only takes 5 minutes to become a qualified tester.
4. Enroll – Get paid to test websites before they are published. Earn cash rewards.
5. UTest – This company offers a variety of website testing opportunities.
6. UserFeel – This company pays around $10 per test.
7. Feedback Army – Website tester jobs. Pay varies with this company.
8. Analysia – Test takes around 15 minutes to complete. Pay is $10 per test.
9. TryMyUI – Tests takes around 15-20 minutes to complete. Pay is $10 per test.
10. Userlytics – Both webcam and microphone are required to complete test. Pay is $10 per test.
11. Amazon Mechanical Turk – This company is owned by Amazon. It offers Website Tester jobs, but the pay may be much less than the others on this list.
12. Loop 11 (This site no loner has website testing jobs) – This company recruits members as young as 14 to test websites from home. Test takes around 10 minutes to complete. Pay is $5 per test.

Car Battery Problems: When is it Time for a New Battery?

Warning signs that may indicate your battery is on the fritz

“If I only knew sooner.” Yep, we’ve all been there before. Fortunately, there are a few symptoms that may indicate your battery needs attention. Before it’s too late.

1. Slow engine crank:
   When you attempt to start the vehicle, the cranking of the engine is sluggish and takes longer than normal to start.
2. Check engine light:
   The check engine light sometimes appears when your battery power is weak.
3. Low battery fluid level:
   Car batteries typically have a part of the casing that’s translucent so you can always keep an eye on your battery’s fluid level. If the fluid level is below the lead plates : (energy conductor:) inside, it’s time to have the battery and charging system tested.
4. The swelling, bloating battery case:
   If your battery casing looks like this you can blame excessive heat for causing your battery case to swell, decreasing your battery life.
5. Battery leak:
   Leaking also causes the corrosion around the posts : (where the + and – cable connections are located.: ) The gunk may need to be removed; otherwise, your car may not start.
6. Old age:
   Your battery can last well beyond three years but, at the very least, have its current condition inspected on a yearly basis when it reaches the three year mark.

Top Questions and Answers.

How could a battery drain overnight?

Batteries can do a lot of things while we’re not looking. The most common way a battery will drain overnight is by leaving a light on or a power adapter plugged in, zapping all your battery power while you’re fast asleep.
Your battery can also drain overnight if there are faulty electrical components or wiring. If this might be the case, let us check it out so we can resolve the problem and get you rolling again.

• Schedule a Battery Inspection. Enter your Zip Code for nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care
• Find the right Interstate Battery for your specific vehicle, at the right price — right now. Get a free online Battery Price Quote.
• Take advantage of our current deals and specials on battery replacements.

What factors will affect the life of my car battery?

So, you want to know if your battery will last three years or, better yet, five years, eh? Well, that all depends on your driving habits, plus the year-round climate in your area.

1. Short Trips. Shorter battery life. If you take many short trips (less than 20 minutes), your battery won’t have enough time to fully recharge, shortening its overall life expectancy.
2. Extreme temperatures kill batteries. The dog days of summer take the biggest toll on your battery. Scorching temperatures — and even freezing temperatures — can shorten battery life. A lot of times, waiting until the deep freeze of winter to replace your battery is often too late. The cold weather could pretty much make that heat worn battery dead on arrival.
3. Find your region. Discover the average battery life.

Quick Steps:

• Use our Virtual Battery Tester and discover how long a car battery will typically last in your specific make and model vehicle.
• Price out your next Interstate Battery. Discover the exact price and the Interstate Battery designed for your vehicle.

What are the warning signs that my alternator is failing?

“If I only knew sooner”. We’ve all been there before. Fortunately, there are various indications and symptoms that your battery may need replacement:

1. Slow engine crank: When you attempt to start the vehicle, the cranking of the engine is sluggish and takes longer than normal to start. You’d best describe it as the “rur rur rur” starting noise sound.
2. Check engine light: The check engine light sometimes appears when your battery power is weak. Strange system indicator lights – such as check engine and low coolant lights – could mean there’s a problem with your battery. (It could also just mean you need more coolant).
3. Low battery fluid level: Car batteries typically have a part of the casing that’s translucent so you can always keep an eye on your battery’s fluid level. You can also inspect it by removing the red and black caps if they are not sealed (most modern car batteries now permanently seal these parts).
   • Bottom line: If the fluid level is below the lead plates (energy conductor) inside, it’s time to have the battery and charging system tested. When fluid levels drop, it’s typically caused by overcharging (heat).
4. The swelling, bloating battery case: If your battery casing looks like it ate a very large meal, this could indicate a battery gone bad. You can blame excessive heat for causing your battery case to swell, decreasing your battery life.
5. Eww, there’s a stinky, rotten egg smell: You may notice a pungent, rotten egg smell (sulfur odor:) around the battery. The cause: Battery leaks. Leaking also causes the corrosion around the posts (where the (+) and (–) cable connections are located.) The gunk may need to be removed; otherwise, your car may not start.
6. Three years + battery age is considered an old timer: Your battery can last well beyond three years but, at the very least, have its current condition inspected on a yearly basis when it reaches the three year mark. Battery life cycles range from three-to-five years depending on the battery. However, driving habits, weather and frequent short trips (under 20 minutes) can drastically shorten the actual life of your car battery.

• Be safe. Have your battery tested.
• Save with special deals on new battery installations.
• Find the right Interstate Battery for your specific vehicle, at the right price — right now. Get a free online Battery Price Quote

Help your battery life with the little things.

Imagine waking up to a dead car battery. It isn’t fun. At all. But because batteries can do stuff when we’re not looking, we need to help them go the distance. That means turning off all interior and exterior lights when exiting your ride. It’s important to unplug power adapters, too. Naturally, we’re also here to keep watch. Our Early Detection Analyzer determines how much life is left in your battery. If something is awry, Firestone Complete Auto Care technicians are pros at delivering a fix.

• Stop in for a complete electrical check.
• Read up on our current battery deals and specials.
• Test your car battery life with our Virtual Battery Tester.
• Find the right Interstate Battery for your exact vehicle — at the right price.
• Enter your zip code to find a store near you.