The Louis L'Amour Project is a new blog written by a Tacoman named Chris Jones who shares his passion for classic Western tales. He sent me a note about his blog recently so I wanted to take a look.

It's well-done, especially if you read Louis L'Amour books (which I don't). The ratings in spurs (up to 5) is a nice touch and the blog is sprinkled with enough images to make it visually interesting.

No doubt Chris is a legitimate L'Amour fan. He even made a Mii of the now deceased author. Even though I'm not a L'Amour fan, it's good to see the legacy of one of the world's most popular writers preserved in the digital age.

Yesterday evening, as I was finally able to steal a few moments and read the Sunday papers (a simple pleasure, even for us digital types) I was suprised and impressed to see a "Tacoma, Wash." dateline on the cover of the New York Times Business section.

A story featuring Alan Collinge, a self-described "complaint box" for the student-loan industry, details the struggle for many people to pay off their student loans. Collinge runs a Web site called StudentLoanJustice.org out of his "spartan apartment," according the Times story, and has been featured in newspapers and "60 Minutes."

This morning, the story is No. 7 on the Most Popular list at the Times' site.

On the cover of today's newspaper is a message inviting readers to sign up for Breaking News Alerts from The News Tribune so you can be "among the first to know" who will be tapped as running mates for Obama and McCain. What about all those people who already signed up for Obama's email or text alert for the same information?

I know several people locally who are signed up - including one who I'm certain is NOT voting for the Illinois senator in November - and it will be interesting to see whether they know the news before the news business knows the news.

Like most newsrooms on "Veepwatch" today, we're anxiously anticipating the announcement (so we know what will be leading our web site and newspaper). But instead of expecting the wires to break the news, we're expecting an individual in the room to receive a text or email from the Obama campaign with the news. If that happens, then any news consumer who signed up for the alert will truly be the first to know.

UPDATE: Yes, it worked. My wife woke up at 2 in the morning for some reason when she heard her phone beep. It was a text message with the Veepnews. So when I stirred about 40 minutes later, she told me the news and I got out of be and sent a breaking news alert from my iPhone.

UPDATE 2: Not exactly. The AP leak spoiled the party, but made for a fresh newspaper Saturday morning.

Merlin Mann of 43 Folders fame provided a great roundup of what elements make a blog good. Interestingly, in looking at the nine characteristics, I see some advantages for mainstream media bloggers and others for independent bloggers. Here's his list (visit his post to read descriptions of each):

1. Good blogs have a voice.

2. Good blogs reflect focused obsessions.

3. Good blogs are the product of "Attention times Interest."

4. Good blog posts are made of paragraphs.

5. Good "non-post" blogs have style and curation.

6. Good blogs are weird.

7. Good blogs make you want to start your own blog.

8. Good blogs try.

9. Good blogs know when to break their own rules.

Full-time reporters who cover a beat for a news organization and contribute to a blog on that topic have an advantage with Nos. 3, 4 and 8. Since they are paid to work 40 hours a week (or more, if you cover sports) they can be more invested than an independent blogger, unless that blogger has "turned pro" and is supported financially by blogging and doesn't have the distraction of a day job, of course.

Independent bloggers have the advantage in Nos. 1, 2, 6 and 9 since they can write their own rules without worry about editors "directing" their focus. And then, of course, they can break those rules.

Regardless of whether you see it through these lenses or not, if you blog or like to read blogs, Mann's post is priceless.

Saw this link on CNN.com's homepage this morning ...

KIRO: Bikini barista throws hot water on flasher

I thought, could that be our KIRO, news partner of the News Tribune? And, if so, could that be a South Sound bikini barista?

Yes, on both counts.

That's the message from the state DOT office with regard to a people's choice award for the new Narrows Bridge. If you're a fan of the new bridge, cast your vote and help it receive national recognition here. (Smack talk: That overpass in Kansas isn't even in same league!)

According to Melanie Coon, Public Information Program Manager, the winning state receives "a substantial cash award to donate to a local or regional community service project of its choice."

The new bridge is also one of 10 transportation projects in the running for the America’s Transportation Award, "reflecting the best in management and innovation by the American Association of State Highway Transportation officials (AASHTO)."

Crosscut published the third of its 3-part series on political blogs today, focusing on mainstream media blogs. Blogs from the Tri-City Herald, Seattle Times and Oregonian are featured (while our Political Buzz gets an "honorable mention" of sorts) along with this lead-in:

Today, a newspaper without a posse of blogs is so passé. The New York Times currently hosts more than 70 blogs, while the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has more than 29 staff-written blogs and dozens of reader blogs. The Tri-City Herald has 12, the Everett Herald has 17, The Seattle Times has 20, and The Oregonian has more than 50 blogs.

Overkill? Never heard of it.

While the print media might have been late to the blogosphere's party, there's a handful of local media-backed blogs making a splash in state politics.

In case you're wondering, we have about 30 staff blogs at the TNT, although the number fluctuates as some come and go (any idea what we should do with our Sonics blog?)

The first two parts of the Crosscut series focused the top independent political blogs and a roundup of the rest.

Want to be an Internet writer for us at The Puyallup Fair? Just like last year, The News Tribune plans to blog the 17-day run of the fair in September (which I think makes it a tradition).

We're looking for volunteers who love the fair and would enjoy sharing their observations with our readers. In addition to the blog on our web site, some of the writing and photos will be published in the newspaper. If you are good at finding sweet deals, making off-the-cuff observations and providing spontaneous reports on things to do and places to avoid, contact Melissa Santos by email or call her at (253) 552-7058.

Exhibit A. as evidence the Seahawks got back to practice last month? A glance at our most popular stories from July.