In a 1938 radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic, War of The Worlds, Martians invade the Earth. Starting with New Jersey. Go figure!

Within an hour, the invaders appear to have taken over the world. At the time, the broadcast caused something of a panic. Times were very different. People were more isolated. The Depression was still on. Everybody listened to radio. Lots of people felt — correctly as it turned out — that another World War was coming. Lots of apprehension in the nation.

Director Orson Wells (who also did the movie classic “Citizen Kane”) did a masterful job of timing. After a disclaimer at the start, that it was a Halloween joke, the rest of the program seemed very real. It cut from music to news bulletins, to the spreading invasion. Scary stuff at the time. To listen to it, imagine yourself in a remote farmhouse, no phone, no Internet. Just you and the radio.

At the end of the radio drama, the survivor (a radio guy, naturally) stuck in Manhattan is trying to contact somebody. Anybody. He wonders if there are any survivors. Or if he is the last man on Earth.

He finished up saying something like “Is there anyone there? Anyone? Anybody there?”

Many people have the same feeling of fear and wonderment whenever there is a federal holiday. The government is allegedly “closed,” but since 9/11, in particular, there are lots of operations that must run 24/7/365. They are involved in health, safety, security, national defense and lots of things we (the average citizen) don’t think about.

So we wanted to find out, who worked Labor Day and why. But we were afraid to ask because readership, typically, is down on holidays. Some people, who normally check us out, might have been too busy holding down the fort. Or otherwise preoccupied with all manner of interesting — often vital — things.

So now we ask: Is there anybody there? More correctly, were you on the job Monday, Labor Day? If so, how come? Where were you and what did you do? Or what were you ready to do in case …

We won’t use your name, or location if you wish to remain anon. But it would be interesting to hear from some folks for whom Labor Day, and lots of other holidays, is just a day at the office.

Thanks in advance.

PS: I was off, resting up to better serve you!!!

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

By Michael O’Connell

Oscar-winning director Orson Welles once ate 18 hot dogs in one sitting at the famed Los Angeles hot dog stand, Pink’s.

Source: IMDB.

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