Language Research

“Be concerned“ is the passive form of the adjective “concerned”.   Webster’s 21st Century Dictionary gives the following meanings of the word “concerned”: “1. Anxious. 2.interested, engaged in political or social problems”.
“Be concerned” can be used with preposition “about”, “with”. What is very interesting depends on the preposition it is followed by, the meaning of the adjective in question changes a lot. The Kenneth Katzner’s English-Russion Dictionary says that if it is followed by the preposition “about”, it has the meaning be worried about someone. When “concerned” has preposition “with” after it, the meanings changes to “be engaged in an activity”,” to do something”.
COCA gives examples when someone is concerned about economical, political and social problems, a class, what someone says, their mistakes, various things happened, “...many people are concerned about the future developments of genetically modified organisms”.
. I like very much definition of The Free Dicionary (www.thefreedictionary.com): “to be concern about - feeling or showing worry or solicitude”.  According to Google, people concerned about resume, android, lead. And there is my example of usage. There was a tsunami warning in California coastline. I was concerned about the tsunami in Santa Cruz and San Francisco because I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and many people I know could be hurt.
To be concerned with means to participate or to be involved in a process of someone doing something. Google gives good example what people might be concerned with: a child’s speech, teaching English, someone doing something etc. For example, from COCA:
There are examples provided by COCA when people are concerned with federal spending, client’s personal well-being, academic, career, “...medicine is concerned with the short-term survival of the human species” and so on.
This research has helped me to learn the difference between the adjective phrases “to be concerned with” and “to be concerned about”. I found out a way helped me to identify correct preposition. Try to substitute the phrase with either “worry about” or “participate/help”. You should use the preposition either “about” or “with” accordingly:
To be concerned of tsunami = to worry about tsunami
To be concerned with your child’s homework = to help your child with a homework.

Two Options. Check out an Exited eBook.

I would like to recommend a very short and exited book to you, entitled “20 things I learned about browsers and the web” and powered by Google. You may find it clicking the following link: http://www.20thingsilearned.com/

There is how authors introduce their book: “What’s a cookie? How do I protect myself on the web? And most importantly: What happens if a truck runs over my laptop? For things you’ve always wanted to know about the web but were afraid to ask, read on.”

The reason why I like “20 things I learned about browsers and the web” very much is that it consists of only 20 topics and explains complex things, such a browsers, the Internet, networking, cloud computing, other web standards and interesting things in a very simple manner using very simple words. Reading, you will never get bored, because average topic consists of only two slides and has very vigorous, attractive and funny illustrations. Most of pictures are dynamic and start moving when you open a new page and read it. Don’t you find it’s exited? I do!

Reading that book, you can understand better how Internet works, what is a web protocol… The reader can find why software can be “open sourced” and becomes aware of possible risks brought by the Internet. Don’t worry. You will not be afraid of malware anymore, because you will know how to protect your personal information on the web.

Katie Couric Interview

Katie Couric, a reporter for CBS Evening News, interviewed Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks. She began the interview by asking him about the names for the different sizes of coffee. Mr. Schultz said that he had gone to Italy and saw those names. As a result, there are were about 70,000 ways that customers could order a coffee. Then Katie asked about the reason for Starbucks closing so many stores and cutting jobs. Howard Schultz said that the company’s growth covered some mistakes, and if he had known what was going to happen with the economy, he wouldn't have grown the company so fast. The third question was about a business plan for a recession. Schultz said that they had not had a business plan for the severity of the downturn in the economy that had taken place. people were choosing not to come to Starbucks because they didn't have the money. The final question was about the possibility of Starbucks lowering prices. The CEO of Starbucks said that he would be offering discount cards and less pricey coffee. However, he said that they sold more than a cup of coffee, and he regretted some moves like buying more efficient espresso machines and replacing couches with tables and chairs to accommodate more customers.
I agree with the statement that Starbucks sells more than just a coffee. I think that they sell a cozy atmosphere created by the couches, sofas and coffee tables, free wireless Internet. I think most people go to Starbucks not because they need to have a cup of coffee, but because they want to be embraced with that friendly and cozy atmosphere and chat with their friends or have a short business meeting. I think that discount and club cards that anyone can get for free might help Starbuck get more returning customers, which, moreover, will help not to cut the jobs. Also, they should publicize their actions of social responsibility, like donations to such countries like Africa, providing medical insurance to all, even part-time, employees and helping  farmers in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, and much more that Starbuck brings to society. Maybe, they should announce a day, when some rate of the total dairy sales will be donated to an organization that helps people fight cancer, like the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. I think people will support responsible producer and they will buy their coffee to help Starbucks make the difference and to have that feeling, that by buying a Venti latte, they are helping someone too.

Ban on Pet Sales

“San Francisco Considers Banning of Pets Except Fish”, an article written by Carolyn Jones and published in the San Francisco Chronicle, 7/8/10, reports on a law that was “under consideration by San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare”.
If the law passed, San Francisco would become the first City with a ban on selling any animals except fish in pet stores.  The problem is City Shelters hosts so many animals. If a rescue group didn’t help to find a new home for animals, many of them would be euthanized, especially hamsters because they are very noisy and not many people would like to adapt hamsters.  
The Chronicle prints an opinion that if people didn’t buy small animals impulsively and if they knew what they are getting into, fewer animals would end up at the shelter and be euthanized.
If that law had been accepted by voters, many pet stores would have been closed.
Ken White, President of Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA, thinks that the Chronicle printed incorrect facts. In his opinion, ban proposal brings up for public discussion the problem of animal euthanasia which exists and very important. Mr. White agreed that idea of closing pet stores might be good for animals.
Michael Yaki, Attorney and Political Consultant, thinks that banning San Francisco pet stores selling anything except fish is a silly idea. If people need a pet and cannot buy one in San Francisco, they will drive many miles away to get a pet they want.
In my opinion, if people think about getting a pet responsibly, the same way they make the decision to get married or have a baby, fewer animals would end up in a shelter.

An Interesting Website

http://www.internetpolyglot.com/ is a website allows people study other languages for free. They describe their mission as helping their “members learn foreign languages by providing them a way to memorize words and their meanings.” This website helps people start learning a new language or find a way to improve their vocabulary or even become a polyglot – a person who speaks many languages.
To start, you may choose any of more than thirty languages available on the website that you are interested to learn and select your native language and the foreign language you want to learn. After that you find a list of lessons with words, audio that helps you to correct pronunciation and a picture that visualizes a word. You can create your own lesson any time you want.
In The Internet Polyglot website, a learner can find guessing, typing, matching and mix word games each of those would make studding process fun. He or she can place a game widget on a blog or a Facebook page and the leaner’s scores will be shown to his or her friends.
For advanced learners, very interesting advanced lessons can be found here in the “English-English” tub. They include idioms, medical, advanced SAT vocabulary and much more.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Evgenia, a Russian modification of a Greek origin name Eugenia, which means Nobel. I don’t have a Greek background, though Most of my friends and some co-workers call me Genia because it’s shorter and easier to pronounce.
I work in IT field as a Software Quality Engineer. Working long hours during the business days, I cannot spend enough time for my hobbies. Nevertheless, I like my work very much because it challenges me and motivates me to learn new technologies persistently.
I am fond of the weekends when I can go to a yoga class, to a park or the ocean, where I can hike or bike. If I am very tired, I stay home and relax, read books or play piano, cook some sweets and share it with people I love.
Every day I try to explore something new and interesting, even if it is just a new recipe of a dish, a new English word or my best friend’s outstanding trait.
In upcoming year, I would like to improve my English, learn how to swim and visit Canada for the first time of my life!
Cheers!

Hello, World!!

Now, I have a blog :)