TheBlindJournalist: The Young Columnist

A Link To A Piece Of Published Work Written By Myself On The Royal National Institue For The Blind's Website

TheBlindJournalist: YogYums

Do you love ice-cream? Want a fat-free alternative? You do? Well, YogYums is the place for you.

YogYums is a new business venture taken by Mr Adeeb Malik, 25 from Bolton, a part-time law student who aims to bring a unique and delicious concept to the North West of England.  Mr Malik has a long-term goal to expand his business into a successful franchise. He hopes to start this off at the launch of YogYums on Friday 11^th October 2013.

The business based on Corporation Street, Preston is a modern frozen yogurt bar as well as a relaxing coffee shop.  Mr Malik also has smoothies and fruit juices for sale.  However, the key product will remain the frozen yogurt desserts. A small tub of strawberry frozen yogurt is £2.70.

Most of us love ice-cream and frozen yogurt is a perfect alternative as it is fat free. This product is perfect for those who are conscious about their health and those consumers looking for new trends and crazes. 

What inspired Mr Malik? He said:

“The idea initially came because I had to travel a very long distance to get my own frozen yogurt and that led me to think that I should be able to go locally and get what I want, and YogYums was born. Also I feel I have found a good niche market here in Preston.”

Mr Malik explained what makes his business different to others. He said:

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“YogYums offers tailor-made frozen yogurts that are not yet available in the North West.”

Consumers commented on the idea and said:

Katie Phillips, 21 a law student said:

 “A great idea but it is the wrong time of the year to open”

Mufassar Ali, 18, unemployed said:

“I love ice-cream, now I can be healthy and still enjoy desserts”

Ilyas Patel, 46, self-employed said:

“He has found a good location, near the university” 

TheBlindJournalist: Character Profile Write-up

"Hope can come from anywhere; just carry on without a care"

It was a sunny, yet extremely windy Tuesday in Blackburn when I was about to meet the young Scotsman. Musicians have a tendency to be wild both in looks and personality; this man couldn't be more different.

A young man standing tall in confidence with an impression which oozed confidence, this was it, my interview with an upcoming, extremely humble and talented blind musician.

We met at Blackburn College in the newly built Beacon Centre.  The library was where I would learn about my subject. A room within a library full of students that was small and dull but this young man sat with a shine which brightened up the room.

David Connelly who has been blind from birth has adopted an outlook on life that can only give one respect for the Scot and leave one feeling guilty for complaining about minor aspects of life.

"I can't go back, so I might as well go forward"

David started to master his red starburst acoustic guitar from the age of eight, being taught by his Grandfather.

"Music is a big inspiration for me; I use music as a release from the stresses of life, Adrenaline pumps through me whilst I play my guitar. I play to impress and please my audience, that’s what makes me happy"

David, always wanting to please everyone around him and to make all he has met proud.

David who started off at a mainstream primary school went on to progress and study at St. Vincent’s School which is a specialist school for blind and partially sighted students. David’s attitude in life is such that anything that happens or that he has to face, he will look at everything with a positive and this is highlighted in the first song he wrote entitled ‘Upside Downside’.

 “If something goes wrong in life, trying to go upside or downside, - upside is positive and downside is negative”

David’s Grandma and Granddad gave him not only the inspiration to write this first song after their sad passing, but also moulding David into the person that he is today.

After David had finished his studies at St Vincent’s he moved onto a specialist college called Henshaws College for the blind in Harrogate to further his independence skills. Once he had done this, David wanted to come back home and focus on his education which is when he came to Blackburn College. His continuous love for music has never left him wherever he goes. David has never let his disability stop him life.

“I would say that you can make being blind a disability but I think being blind is simply doing things in different ways” 

David came back to mainstream education and studied an entry level course in IT however couldn’t resist studying music and therefore is now currently studying a level three diploma BTEC in music.

“I treat life very positivly; mobility can be difficult at times outside and inside college. 

Braille music is also difficult to learn but I will not let my disability stop me from achieving my course.”

David has also started to gig and is being invited to several events to perform.

“My disability is an advantage when performing because I can’t see the audience when I am on stage”

David is also a vehement sports fan and adores his international football team, Scotland. When asked whether David would rather perform or watch Scotland play, he was torn but said in his deep Scottish accent:

“That’s a very difficult answer, I would have to say I would rather perform than watch the mighty Scots play”

Through the independence David gained from his earlier years in life he is now living in sheltered accommodation. David has started to become a song writer as well as a musician and aims to one day become a professional performer but would always love to teach the guitar or keyboard to others as David can also play the keyboard.

“If someone offered me full sight tomorrow, I would turn them down. I am happy with my life”

TheBlindJournalist: Parking Petition

Mohammed Salim Patel                                    14^th April 2013                                     Parking

Politics student creates e-petition to introduce penalty points on driving licenses for parking in disabled bays without blue badges.

Stephen Anderson, 22 of Harrow, North West London has started an electronic petition to stop the abuse of parking in disabled bays without disabled badges as it is becoming an ever heightened issue for the disabled community. This abuse of bays which have been especially designated for people with disabilities is resulting in hardship and frustration for the disabled.

Although it is illegal to park in disabled bays without a blue badge, the London born youngster aims that through his e-petition he can ensure that drivers who do commit this action receive penalty points on their driving licenses.

Mr Anderson says:
"Disabled people such as myself should be able to park where we are legally entitled to, without worrying about lazy people cutting corners, literally"

The e-petition has currently received 37 signatures with its deadline on 25th March 2014 at 9.49AM..

The e-petition can be signed at:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/47503
                                                                 
                                                                           Ends

TheBlindJournalist: Self-generated Story

Mohammed Salim Patel                                  26^th March 2013                                 MAKIIS

UCLan student invents a ‘mimic of a professor’

Panagiotis Gnafakis, 20, a Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering student has created a telepresence robot called MAKIIS.

The third year student has created an enhanced telepresence robot which is capable of moving and giving presentations using an on-board video call system using an iPad.

Makroskopic Intelligent Interaction System can also detect a sound source using its four microphones and automatically turn and face towards it, these innovative capabilities have “never before been integrated on a telepresence robot.” The robot can also respond to voice commands and it has built-in human survival skills. MAKIIS has additional features which gives it 3D vision, with its eyes being 1.7 metres off the ground. Using ultra-sonic sensors MAKIIS also sees obstacles on the ground.  MAKIIS can be personalised with clothing such as a shirt or skirt making it a unisex robot.

The idea for MAKIIS was thought of in September 2012 when Panagiotis was discussing with his project supervisor Phil Tranter. As Phil is often away in China, on University business, he is unable to teach his students in Preston. A solution for this was the telepresence robot.

Panagiotis says that:

“From seven to ten I took all my toys and I broke them and I made new toys. My friends and teachers would ask me what I wanted to be when I was older and I always said robotics engineer but they never believed in me.”

The Greece born youngster’s first invention was at the age of twelve which was a toy helicopter that flew. This gave him the inspiration and motivation to prove his friends and teachers wrong and achieve his dreams of studying robotics.

Panagiotis came to the U.K to study because there was nothing for robotics in his hometown of Athens and he hopes to see his robot being used and enhanced by upcoming students.

Ends

TheBlindJournalist: March Budget 2013

On the 20th March 2013 at 12pm George Osborne who is the Chancellor Of The Exchequer read out the budget in the House of Commons. The budget is usually in March or April and it is where the Chancellor Of The Exchequer gives a speech about the Government's plans for taxation changes and the state of the national finances.

There were many key aspects to the latest budget such as from 2014 the government will pay 20% towards a new house's deposit and that no tax has to be paid below £10.000, however in this blog my focus is going to be on alcohol and cigarettes.
In 2012 a pack of cigarettes went up by 37p and alcohol cost increased by 5%. A pack of cigarettes were £7.95 however they have now increased by 25p meaning if you wanted a pack of cigarettes now you would pay £8.20 (RRP)
George Osborne in his budget announced that tax on alcohol has reduced by 1p. A pint is still £3.05 before tax reduction and with the NHS spending £8m a day treating alcoholics, should the price of alcohol increase? This debate did take place and responsible drinkers felt that they shouldn't be made to pay more for other people's problems.
Although the budget has been released, for cigarettes would come into affect once tobacco manufacturers have produced new packs however cash and carry's increases prices as soon as the budget is released therefore forcing newsagents to also increase their prices even though the stock that the cash and carry's bought was at a lower price, they do this to maximise profits.

TheBlindJournalist: Published Work

I wrote a comment for Insight Magazines Agony Aunt section and it has been published! This is my first piece of published work.