[new cruelty]

Home Depot is right around the corner.

There may be trouble at home (dating back well over a year ago)...

Feb 2005- Home Depot wants Spanish-speaking workers

..."Matching the profile of your associate work force with the profile of your targeted or existing customer is always been a practice that has helped retailers enhance the store experience," said Michael Brown, a retail specialist at consulting firm Kurt Salmon Associates.

Home Depot rival Lowe's Companies Inc., based in Mooresville, N.C., has worked with employment agencies in several states to help diversify its work force of 160,000 people. It also has worked with the military to hire soldiers looking to go into the private sector.

While Lowe's has not implemented any formal national hiring partnerships with the Hispanic community, it has tried to boost the number of Hispanic employees at stores in communities that are predominantly Hispanic. The 1,075-store chain has done that at stores in parts of South Florida, Texas and California.

"There is certainly a business advantage to having a work force that reflects the community," Lowe's spokeswoman Chris Ahearn said.

[muawiyah]

The nearest Home Depot was breaking in a new chief cashier on the express unit the other day. Yes, she was Hispanic, and drop dead gorgeous, and half the men in the store had made it over to the express unit to watch.

Things could be worse.