The Female Half is reading “Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West” by Hampton Sides. In it there’s a story, one of many revolving around the struggle to dominate the continent’s southwest region, in which the Mexicans invite a bunch of Indian leaders to “talk.” They gather them in a room, feed them, give stuff to smoke, etc. Then they clong them over the head and kill them all.

She was reminded of the story when we received an email from Annie O’Rourke from Rooftop Comedy:

I am happy to let you know that Shecky Magazine has been nominated for a Rooftop Award for best Online Industry Publication for 2008.

The Rooftop Academy (Rooftop clubs, nominees, staff and other industry “types”) will be voting on this in the coming weeks, with the winners announced during the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival on May 31, 2008.

That’s right– we’re among four “Online Industry Publications” in the running for an award for “best coverage of the world of comedy.”

Something’s up. We just know it. Earlier this week, we received an invite to attend Rooftop’s shindig at the end of this month in Aspen. Several factors mitigate against us attending– Short notice, Aspen is far away and expensive to get to and expensive to stay in once one gets there.

And then there’s the matter of what we’ve said in the pages of this magazine. Specifically about Rooftop. “Read those releases carefully”, from October of last year raises some… interesting questions… about Rooftop and their modus operandi.

And another posting, “Standup fest to continue in Aspen?”, says some less than complimentary things about eternal grousebucket David Brenner. Brenner is playing ball with Rooftop, or so the legend goes. He scoured the Rooftop site to choose the talent for a series of shows at Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House. We received a scathing email or two from the Wheeler’s Executive Director (go read his comment on the above posting– OUCH!) We suspect that Wheeler and/or Brenner will be part of Rooftop’s festival. So, we doubt we’d be comfortable floating around the Rockies May 30 and 31.

We don’t mean to sound ungrateful. We’re flattered that, after nine years of cranking out this publication, someone saw fit to recognize our work and our contribution to the industry. And we congratulate our fellow nominees. (Or shall we call them “honorees,” since merely being nominated is quite an honor?)

And it’s actually a very smart idea– they’re also giving awards to talent. Something that hasn’t been done since George Schlatter did it back in the 80s and 90s. And Schlatter did it so poorly toward the end, it’s a wonder that anyone would try again!

But considering what we’ve written– and considering the logistical/fiscal nightmare represented by arranging travel to Aspen on two week’s notice– and haunted by the images of Indians being clonged on the head by seemingly well-meaning Mexicans back in the 1840s, we’ll be back in Jersey, anxiously awaiting the results of the balloting. May the best online industry publication win.