The Transportation Security Administration has a blog written by Bob Burns, the official TSA blogger. Unlike the security agency that deals in very serious stuff, it is fun, lighthearted and devoted to the needs of its readers.

"Do I get beat up? Oh, yes, definitely," Burns says. "You have to have thick skin and realize that people do need an outlet to vent and get rid of frustrations."

It's vastly different than most agency blogs that are little more than press releases, or sites like the Department of Transportation's blog called "Welcome to the Fast Lane," that assures readers the $48 billion in stimulus money allocated to the department "could not be in more capable, vigilant hands."

Here's Slate's assessment of other government blogs:

> The State Department blog is named "DipNote," and last week, it told readers that Obama's European trip was a spectacular success.

> The U.S. Geological Survey sent a blogger to the Arctic to watch researchers map the ocean floor.

> The Energy Department's Energy Saver is a green advice column.

Burns, on the other hand, is the TSA blogger and de facto reporter. When some travelers missed their flights last year because their MacBook Airs looked suspicious under an X-ray, Burns created a video to explain why that occurred. 

For more on what makes a government blog work:
- check out this Slate article