As part of their giant sucking up program, the AP reported today that Wal-Mart has agreed to allow a Chinese "state-sanctioned labor group to launch a campaign to set up party-controlled unions in Wal-Mart branches."

Here is how Wal-Mart cares for their employees in the US (According to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union):

1)" High premiums and deductibles keep more than half of Wal-Mart workers from participating in the company health plan. While the national average of workers covered by employer health insurance is 67 percent, only about 47 percent of Wal-Mart’s employees are covered by the company’s health care plan."

Warren Buffett has been buying large blocks of USG Corp. (USG) the maker of drywall, wallboards and a host of other construction products.

After raisng his stake to over 17%, and seeing that the stock has taken a 61% haircut since April of this year, I went ahead and added a few shares for my own account.

I also took a look at this list of companies owned by Berkshire Hathaway, and USG seems to fit very nicely. I don't know if Buffett will buy the entire company, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Here are some building related companies that Berkshire did buy;

This Month;

USG

NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 23,500 @46.03 =$1,081,705
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 118,500 @46.01 =$5,452,185
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 587,100 @45.98 =$26,994,858
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 1,200 @45.81 =$54,972
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 82,900 @45.80 =$3,796,819
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 26,900 @45.71 =$1,229,599
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 692,500 @45.46 =$31,481,050
NATIONAL INDEMNITY CO (10% Owner) B 6,969,274 @40.00 =$278,770,960

I don't know about you, but I an getting tired of all the excuses.

Aug 25, 2006- “storm threat off Puerto Rico, UN-Iran standoff
Aug 24, 2005- “Analyst: Blame Investors for High Gas Prices”
Aug 21, 2006- “Oil prices rise as market awaits Iran decision on United Nations incentives
Aug 18, 2006-“Crude oil inventories fell 1.6 million barrels in the week”
Aug 18, 2006- “Oil producer BP said Friday it has restored half of the production from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, but oil prices rose anyway”
Aug 11, 2006- “Oil prices rise as markets reconsider impact of thwarted airplane attacks”
Aug 10, 2006- “Crude Oil Prices Rise after the U.S. government reported drops in crude, gasoline and distillate fuel inventories
Aug 9, 2006-“Oil Prices Rise on Concerns About Supply”
August 6, 2006- “Oil prices jump on Alaska shutdown”
Aug 2, 2006- “Natural gas, crude oil prices rise amid heat”
Aug 1, 2006- �

A viewer posted this comment after I posted the insider buys in USG by Warren Buffett;

Hmmmmmm. Over this week, I have read a lot of articles indicating that this is a good time to start to get your feet wet in the hommies as well.

y, I don't think we are even halfway through the housing collapse. Things, I suspsect, will get much worse before they start to get better. And note that we are within striking distance of recent highs on quite a few averages. With this in mind, I think I will hold off.

I do agree that the housing debachle is just beginning. At the moment, real estate sales are down. The time to go bargain hunting in the sector is when you read in the paper that home prices have fallen 25-50%.

Like the NASDAQ in 2000-2002, many brokers couldn't take the pain and left the business. Over the past 5 years everyone wanted to be a real estate agent. When realtors begin to look for other means of employment, we will know that we h