Nia Dark and Lovely, a Black Escort in London

The Petulant Pooner is based in Seattle.He writes about what is happening in the paid sex scene there, and other topics of interest related to the industry.

What is the first weblog you came across?

I believe it was on the eve of the Iraq war that I stumbled across a link to Instapundit, who was blogging pretty heavily about Salam Pax at that time (Salam Pax was an Iraqi blogger who wrote about his experience as an ordinary Iraqi citizen in the run-up to the war -- at immense personal risk, I might add.)


Why did you start blogging?

I blogged just a little on Myspace in the spring of 2006, and started to blog seriously in November of 2006.

Why did you start blogging?

Ok, here's 'why':
I've always enjoyed having a soapbox to stand on, but dislike being subject to anyone else's censorship.

Which blogs do you read?

I have several daily reads and too many occasional stops to list. My current favorites are The Belmont Club, little green footballs, HorsesAss, and VodkaPundit. Oh yes, and of course... Nia Dark and Lovely!

What appeals to you about the blogs you read?

Blogs serve two purposes in my world. Firstly, they serve as an information filter -- they screen out a lot of the noise and help me to focus on information that is truly important to me. Secondly, blogs are marvelous for bringing deep background information that would otherwise not come to the fore, and similarly, to provide coverage of important -- yet obscure -- stories that the mainstream media chooses not to allot space for.


Whose writing do you particularly admire?

Wretchard (The Belmont Club) is a favorite. I was also particularly fond of Steven Den Beste (U.S.S. Clueless), who has -- alas! -- given up current events and switched to blogging about Japanese anime.


In your reading do you seek out different points of view ?

Actually, it seems more accurate to say that different points of view seek me out! I think that if one is not regularly exposed to differing points of view, then one needs to adjust their reading habits. The blogosphere is all about diversity of opinion, and it behooves us to make the most of that.


How do you choose items to link?

My blogging has a very narrow focus (that being: prostitution, from the consumer's perspective), so it's relatively easy for me to separate the wheat from the chaff. I look at prospective items and pass them through the filter of my own agenda -- pro-legalization; anti-corruption.


What is your policy on comments?

In spite of what some of my detractors would tell you, I am actually quite tolerant of comments from those who disagree with me. That said, I would also add that I do not suffer fools gladly.


Do you ever receive abusive comments , how do you handle it ?

Where I draw the line is at anonymity -- if somebody wants to throw rocks at me, that's fine... but I insist that they identify themselves (using their locally known Hobby identity, most often as they are known on the local escort review forums). When I have something negative to say, I let people know who I am -- and I expect the same from those who leave comments.


Where do you find interesting links?

For news items, I use Google News Alerts to instantly notify me when something of interest is published. I also devote a lot of my blogging time to the local prostitution scene, and I cover that primarily by haunting the message boards where people in my area hang out.


Do you ever write to provoke a reaction, how do you do that ?

Oh yes! I am all about provoking a reaction... it's the best way to drive increased traffic. It's not difficult at all; it merely requires that one not 'pull punches'. I tell it exactly the way I see it, and usually that gets the job done.


How much traffic do you get?

The Petulant Pooner is currently ranging between 700 to 1200 visitors daily. The single day record is just shy of 2000.


What is your rank on technorati?

I just switched from Blogger to a standalone dot-com a few weeks ago, and I lost some ground at Technorati as a result. My rank at Blogger was in the mid- 300,000's. The new blog is now in the mid 700,000's, and gaining.

Has your writing changed since you started blogging?

I'm sure that it has, but I would be hard-pressed to give an objective analysis. I will say, though, that I tend more towards brevity than I used to.

How many hours do you spend online a day?

At least four to six.


How much time do you spend on your site a day?

The Petulant Pooner usually consumes about a half hour to an hour each day, depending of course on how many posts I create.


How many blogs do you read?

On an average day, perhaps five or six.


How do you find new blogs?

Usually they are brought to my attention by established bloggers, although I do stumble across them on Google quite often.

How much reader email do you get?

I don't get a lot of email that isn't tied to blog comments. My email address is not widely published at the moment.


What do you think makes a successful blog?

Readership is the name of the game. And it's not the number of readers, so much as it is a matter of reaching the right people.


What is your advice for a new blogger?

Find a niche!


How has blogging changed your life?

It's given me a hammer to swat the flies.


What blogs do you think deserve wider recognition and why?

I'm going to throw you a curve in response to this question. I can think of several blogs that deserve considerably LESS attention, most notably Instapundit, which has turned into little else than a list of links. Add to that list ShakespearesSister and Pandagon (blogs which belong to a pair of militant feminists who were let go from the campaign of American presidential candidate John Edwards), which contain a great deal of anti-male hate speech.

Ok, enough of that. Who deserves more recognition? Why, The Petulant Pooner, of course!!


What are your hobbies?

Outside of blogging, I am interested in photography, auto mechanics, gardening and cooking.


How has your blog changed over the years?

Hmm... well, it's not 'years' for me, as I've only been at it for a little less than seven months. In that time, my blog has evolved to suit my agenda, which is to fight corrupt practices within my local prostitution scene.


Are you fairly accurate in predicting which of your items will be widely linked?

I'd say so, yes. In my locality, my blog has become known as THE place to learn the scoop on what is going on with certain sorts of events. When I break news that I know certain people do not want to be known, I can usually count on a deluge of hits.


Do you have a background in writing?

No, not really. I've always enjoyed writing, but until I turned to blogging I never really devoted much time to it. Perhaps one day I will be asked this question again, and the answer might be, "Why yes, I used to write a popular blog."


When do you blog?

There is not set time for me. Sometimes it is early in the morning before work, sometimes I can find some time during the work day. Most often, it is in the evening.


With regard to blogging what was your most memorable moment?

Here in Seattle, a widely popular (but very corrupt) review forum just bit the dust, about two weeks ago. Some say that a series of posts on The Petulant Pooner brought it down, and I have to consider that this is at least a possibility. To date, this stands out as the most significant event.


Would you read your site?

Yes... if I were a hobbyist in Seattle, I most definitely would. And they do, too.

Labels: Belmont Club, Bloggers on blogging, Horseass, Instapundit, Interviews, Little green footballs, Myspace, Pendagon, Petulant Pooner, Salam Pax, Shakespeare'sSister, Technorati, Vodkapundit