Labor Day, Lake America and everything in between

'Outta' My Mind on a Monday Moanin'' Happy Labor Day! This holiday is celebrated on the first Monday in September, honoring the American labor movement and the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our great country. So, once again, today we celebrate the great work and fruits of our labor by…taking the day off. ***** Kim and I were overseas with our fine WJR listeners when two stories broke back home. One story brought universal tears: the unexpected death of sweet Dolly Parton. The other story brought a mixed reaction, with some embarrassed giggles: the president renaming Lake Ontario 'Lake America." It didn't take long for someone to point out that Canada Geese are now Donald's ducks. Since we returned, the President floated the idea of calling the Strait of Hormuz "Trump Strait." The next day, he said that he was kidding. Soon after, the United States Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump to continue construction of the massive new ballroom at the White House; the mainstream media continued their negative coverage of the project. It's fascinating that they hardly ever mention some of the important aspects of the six-story subterranean military complex beneath the structure. It is said to serve as a high-tech national security hub, much more so than the old bomb shelter already under part of the White House. The complex is said to include heavy blast-resistant construction with missile-resistant steel columns; a state-of-the-art military hospital and medical emergency spaces; military-grade ventilation and biodefense systems; and military command-and-control infrastructure with secure telecommunications. And that's just what the White House is telling us. The point is, this is much more than just a ballroom. Paul W. Smith is host of 'Focus' on WJR-AM (760) from noon to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.