While the number of stores, 2, 244, is essentially unchanged over the last three years, Blake has been investing heavily in training and logistics so that Home Depot stores actually have what people want and so that sales people there can actually help customers find and use the stuff.

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By last year it had dwindled to 50, 000, and since President Barack Obama announced in October the U.S. would leave by year-end the military has been engaged in a massive logistics effort, sending home thousands of troops a week, shuttering dozens of U.S. bases and moving millions of pieces of equipment.

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Though a great enthusiast for all things crocodile-related - he once seriously considered the logistics of keeping one in his home as a pet - Packham says humans always need to be on their guard when in the vicinity of such animals.

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If you want to try ELH at home, read my two stories about the economics and the logistics of selling losers.

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The US military's Southern Command has reported that there are several Hezbollah support and logistics cells on Isla de Margarita, a Venezuelan island home to a large Lebanese expatriate community.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Iran in Latin America

Rather than employing personal assistants at home, some bankers are using the executive assistants at their offices to handle some of their personal logistics.

WSJ: Honey, They Shrunk My Bonus

But the government could tackle home-grown difficulties that strangle supply in all sorts of industries, including agriculture, retailing, infrastructure and logistics.

ECONOMIST: Indian politics