Leeds Equity Partners

Leeds Equity Partners is a private equity firm that focuses on education, training and information and business services industries.

I don't really know what an equity firm is. I know that I should. And I kind of know. Like I have an idea. But I don't really know. I can never really wrap my head around words like 'equity' and 'capital gains' and 'bond'. I am good at wrapping my head around other kinds of words like 'giraffe' and 'table' and 'cheeseburger'.

Thankfully, we have the people at Leeds Equity Partners to help me with my equity.


Oh, it's a shoe company.
Photo: Djinn76 via Flickr (CC)

Jo-Ann Stores

Jo-Ann Stores is a retail chain that sells crafts and fabrics. It is based in Hudson, Ohio.

Wikipedia doesn't say who Jo-Ann is or was, but that's okay. I respect the store, because fabrics are important. Without them, nothing would be made out of anything.


Skin. The fabric of our lives.
Photo: angel_shark via Flickr (CC)

Featherproof books

Featherproof books is a small, independent book publisher based in Chicago. They publish bound novels, short story collections, and mini-books.

Feathers are powerless against them.


This man is not featherproof.
Photo: striatic via Flickr (CC)

Stearns (automobile)

Stearns (automobile) was a luxury car manufacturing company based in Cleveland. It's formal name was F. B. Stearns and Company. The company is now defunct. My formal name is Adam Jonathan Shonkoff. I still funct.

Frank Stearns was a pioneer in auto building back at the turn of the 20th century. He built his first car when he was a student in 1896. It was old-timey. But not at the time. At the time it was very new-timey.

I've never built a car. I often think how it would be cool to build myself a complex machine from scratch, and then use it. Like a car or a computer. But I've never done it. That's the difference between me and Frank Stearns. Also, he never blogged.


The 1929 Stearns-Knight had optional blood-soaked rims.
Photo: Mr. T in DC via Flickr (CC)

Bell System

Bell System was a giant telephone monopoly run by AT&T from 1877 to 1984. In 1984 the company was broken up into smaller pieces by the federal government to protect you and me. Thanks, Uncle Sam.

Bell System was named after Alexander Graham Bell. He invented the telephone. Thanks, Alexander Graham Bell.

I'd also like to thank Alexander Graham Bell's father and mother for inventing Alexander Graham Bell.

I'm glad there are inventors. Without inventors, we'd have nothing. Nothing at all.


Alexander Graham Bell was made out of white chocolate.
Photo: cliff1066™ via Flickr (CC)

Trumpeter (company)

Trumpeter (company) is a Chinese company that makes little plastic model military equipment—ships, planes and ground vehicles.

I've never played the trumpet, but when I was in elementary school I played the saxophone for one year. There were a few other people who played the saxophone too that year. In one concert, we played the song "Wipeout." At one break in the song, we all did a spin onstage. It was pretty cool. At least I think that happened. Or actually, maybe that was someone else who did that. I can't remember elementary school anymore.


This trumpeter glued his face to a microphone.
Photo: Glamhag via Flickr (CC)