What is foldedspace.org?
Foldedspace.org is the personal web site of J.D. Roth, a run-of-the-mill middle-aged geek. Mostly what you’ll find here is this weblog, a not-quite-daily rumination on those things of interest to me. The amateur photography I used to share here can now be found at Flickr.

I posted my first web site in the summer of 1994. I bought foldedspace.org on 26 June 2000, and started my weblog on 16 March 2001. (I’d experimented with on-line journals of various sorts as far back as 1997, but nothing ever stuck.) I have dreams of starting bibliophilic.org, a site for book-lovers, but I never seem to get anything done with it.

Who is J.D. Roth?
I was born and raised in Canby, Oregon. As was my father before me. As was his father before him. I attended Canby Union High School before spending four years at college in Salem, where I attended Willamette University. At Willamette, I met the remarkable Kris Gates. We were married soon after graduation. Against all odds, Kris got a job teaching chemistry and physics at Canby High School, so we moved back to my hometown and I went to work for the family business, Custom Box Service. We lived in Canby for over a decade, raising our cats, tending our garden, reading our books. Then we stumbled upon our dream house in Oak Grove, so we packed up and moved closer to Portland.

I now live in said dream house with a spectacularly intelligent wife and three troublesome cats.

I live my life primarly in the mental realm. Some people are physical: outside doing stuff, lifting stuff, building stuff. While I enjoy physical activity and being outdoors, I gravitate toward pastimes that engage my mind, and I lose myself in a mental world from which I’m unable to escape. I’m perpetually out-of-shape and flabby. I try to combat this by commuting to work by bicycle when it’s warm. Though I have good intentions, I rarely ride as much as I should.

I love to learn.

I read a lot. I write a lot. I surf the web a lot. I dabble in photography. I enjoy playing games. I like to watch soccer. Though I claim friends aren’t important, I have many with whom I enjoy spending time.

I crave a life of idleness.

Were you the host of television’s Fun House? The voice of Johnny Quest?
No. That’s a different J.D. Roth, trying to ride on the coattails of my success. I really wish he’d drop me a line. I feel two J.D. Roths could get into much mischief. Plus, I’ve got a bunch of fan e-mail for him.

What is a weblog?
It depends on whom you ask. For my purposes, a weblog is like a public journal. Some people would tell you that a weblog is only a series of interesting links posted in reverse chronological order. They’re wrong.

My weblog is a forum for my thoughts and interests, and an opportunity to share my daily life with friends and family. To the extent a weblog can represent a person, mine represents who I am. Sometimes I swear. Sometimes I rant against religion, etiquette, and assorted bozos. If these things offend you, I apologize: there are other sites that might be of greater interest to you. I update the weblog regularly. Recent entries can be accessed via the calendar on the main page. Older entries can be found in the archives.

My entries fall into several broad categories. There are the personal history entries, which tend to be long, rhapsodic remembrances of my past. My entries on daily life are similar, but more detail-oriented, and generally the kind of thing that people despise in a weblog. I often write about books and reading. I rave about computers and music. I babble about my hobbies: photography, comic books, computer games, soccer, etc. I have a lot of interests, though I tent to obsess about only one or two at a time, often for several weeks or months.

Though I try not to write about politics, sometimes I can’t help it. I’m a small-I independent (though some feel I’m a small-L libertarian). I hate the two-party system. For a time, I was mildly active in local politics, but that died a slow death when I found I could affect little change. (Though I did fight for funding for the historical society!)

Disclaimer: Everything here is True, but not everything here is true. Sometimes—not often—I will alter a fact, will compress time; will composite characters; will, in short, alter the little truths in order that a larger Truth might be more visible. This isn’t a common occurrence, but it does happen. Here is an extended discussion on truth vs. fact in weblogs (in particular, how it affects foldedspace.org).

I’m new here — where’s a good place to start?
Here are some notable entries:

Popular Posts
Get Rich Slowly!, my most-read piece: I summarize the financial self-help books I’ve recently read
Getting Things Done
, in which I describe how I implemented the system from the popular self-help book
Man vs. Skunk: a Photoessay, in which I retrieve a dead skunk from under a trailer house
Action Girl’s Guide to Living, a summary of a fantastic life philosophy
Pocket Bikes — I loathe them
The Golden Rules of Weblogging and Everyone Has Something to Say discuss the art of weblogs
Sexy Songs — readers like you rate their favorite sexy songs
Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep — I review the second Lord of the Rings film; everybody hates me

Personal History & Beliefs
Independence Day — a snapshot sparks memories of my father’s final days
Ashamed — in which I recall times I’ve been ashamed
U2: A Love Story — I fell in love with U2 in high school
How Not To Watch a Movie — Joel, Dave, and I get kicked out of a movie
The Queue — Kris and I don’t fight about money; we fight about our Netflix queue
On the Malleability of Time — I wax philosophical about the nature of time
Golden Plates — I was raised Mormon
Genesis, Exodus, and Revelations — in which I explain my spiritual sojourn
Action Girl’s Guide to Living — how to live life to its fullest

Media Consumption
Star Wars Generation describes my youthful love for Star Wars
Ten Most Important Books — what ten books have been most important in your life?
Best Science Fiction Films — your favorite science fiction films
Netflix — I review every film we rent from Netflix
Sexy Songs — readers like you rate their favorite sexy songs
Peter Jackson’s Helms Deep — I review the second Lord of the Rings film; everybody hates me

Political and Ethical Issues
Everything Here is True — a discussion of truth and journalism (especially weblogs)
How Did We Get Here? — a brief recent history of the Middle East; an attempt to explain 9/11
Amend This — which is a response to…
The Banning of Gay Marriages — Tammy’s post about gay marriage
Whose Rules? — Whose rules should we live by? Yours? Mine? Your god? My god?

Food
Best Salsa Ever — my favorite salsa recipe
Best Clam Chowder Ever — my favorite chowder recipe
Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever — my favorite cookie recipe
American Ethnic Food — in which I butcher Tater Tot Hot Dish
Gin Fizz, Illustrated — in which I learn how to make a fine cocktail

Our House
4027044 and Interpreter of Dreams chronicle the purchase of the house
This Old House, Peeling Wallpaper, Moving Day, and More Work describe the move
Photo Gallery: Remodeling — our friends help us out
Insulated — our insulation contractor sucked
House Update: Painting and House Update: Painting (part two) — with photos!
Yet Another House Update — which is just what it seems
Berry Patch — I plant blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries
Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow — a summary of our gardening adventures
Bathroom Remodel: Before (with photos) and Bathroom Remodel: During (with photos)

Miscellaneous Flotch
The Book Club Reading List documents every book we’ve ever read
When the Bullet Hits the Bone — goofy nonsense from yours truly
Catfilter — an attempt to gather all the AskMetafilter cat questions in one spot
2002: Year in Review — bests and worsts from 2002
2003: Year in Review — bests and worsts from 2003