Rethbo

BYU fans rush the field after an overtime victory against Utah (2009) photo by  qbac07 I know some folks are bummed about the news of BYU playing Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl this year. I have to admit that I was bummed at first too. Wait, no I wasn’t. I was stoked. And that excitement has only grown. I can’t imagine a more epic way for either team to cap a three-loss season.  Here’s why: 1. BYU is more of Utah’s equal than Ute fans want to admit. I will confess. The Cougars are the underdog. But just barely. Both football teams are 9-3. Of course, no two schedules are footballs to footballs. However, don’t forget there was a four-game overlap between these rivals’ particular schedules. Both BYU and Utah played Michigan, Fresno State, Utah State, and UCLA. BYU outscored the four by 33 points; Utah outscored the lot by 30 points. BYU went 2-2 against the clan (including a one-point loss to UCLA); Utah went 3-1. Both BYU and Utah have been ranked th...

LDS church office building One article on the Salt Lake Tribune has 3202 comments (and counting) this morning. No, I did not read them all. But I get the feeling that most of the comments mirror the sentiments of this sampling: "The LDS Church. Always looking for new ways to alienate people and turn them away." "Pitting parents against children is their MO [modus operandi] and has been their MO for a very long time." "For those active [M]ormons that find the latest pronouncement of apostasy for those engaged in sex marriage or co-habitation offensive or embarrassing, you can make your voice heard." "So kids get to suffer for the "sins" of their fathers? How Christ like [sic]." Of course, the Tribune isn't the only website posting articles discussing the LDS (Mormon) Church policies related to gay marriage. The other articles I have seen have sparked similar commentary. As a Mormon who tries to be faithful, I feel ob...

Adapted from  YouTube  screenshot We have proven it yet again. As Latter-day Saints (Mormons), we can be our own worst enemies in the media. The way we sometimes bicker and build mountains of molehills must cause outsider eye rolls. The irony is that we are generally pretty forgiving and slow to leap to conclusions about others' intentions when it comes to non-members. But when it comes to the foibles of members of our LDS church family, from one small act we are somehow blessed with pure knowledge of the dark inner-workings of souls. Remember how brutal some internet-vocal Mormons were in response to the color of LDS violin phenom  Lindsey Stirling's dress  back in May? Now, the angst is aimed at former NBA baller and current LDS leader Devin Durrant. Last Sunday during general conference, millions heard Durrant's call to come closer to God through "ponderizing" a particular verse of scripture each week. While the coined phrase is admittedly cheesy (his...

Our love for Dude Perfect runs deep.   A few months ago, our five-year-old discovered their videos . He' s pretty much an addict now.   They deserve a definite shout-out for making good, clean entertainment. A few weeks ago, our boy wanted to try his hand at a trick shot video. He came up with his own shots  (though we tried to give them   Dude   Perfect -worthy names) .  Without further ado, here's the final product:

 Newsflash--starting August 31, 2015, BYU Student Health Insurance will no longer qualify as "minimum essential coverage" under Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act. BYU hasn't really done much to advertise this fact or its potential tax ramifications on students. I have wasted a couple hours of my life trying to figure out what this means for me. Hopefully, I can save you some time. Wait, is this for  reals ? Yep.  From BYU's own website: To meet the ACA medical coverage requirement, a health plan must qualify as “minimum essential coverage,” which is a type of health coverage approved by the federal government. Beginning August 31, 2015, the BYU Student Health Plan will no longer be considered minimum essential coverage. [I find this next part funny...] Although the BYU Student Health Plan will not meet the ACA requirements, it will continue to meet the university’s health coverage requirement. [Good to know BYU isn't about to sell you insurance that ...

Some people have jumped on what I think is an incoherent bandwagon that creates crazy consumer rights. An uncontroversial wedding cake that the baker could've declined to decorate  for dislike of flowers or the color pink. photo by tracyhunter Under federal law, public accommodations are places where consumers go to receive a service . Consumers can’t be kept out of or denied services at public accommodations because of their sex or other protected attributes. [It's true that under many anti-discrimination laws, sexual orientation is not a protected attribute. But it should be. It's fair to allow people to go and buy regardless of how they self-identify.] But regardless of who they are, consumers have no right to demand specific services. Sure, if a service is offered, it should be offered to all with only limited exceptions (like those based on age or individual behavior). But consumers generally can’t force a business to offer any particular service. Yo...

Lady Justice and a jury             Juries are not perfect, but if I were on trial, I would rather have a group of biased strangers, who must reach a unanimous decision (at least in federal court) within the bounds set by a judicial referee, ultimately decide my fate than have one human referee call all the shots. Juries are not as unpredictable as the news media often make them seem. According to a survey of 30 years of jury studies, “the jury system is healthy.” [1] "Quite a bit of their decision is determined by the case that the lawyers present to them. . . . [W]hat seems like a wild card, in fact, follows rules. The strength of the evidence in the case will give you a good sense about what a jury is going to do." [2] Juries take the parties’ fates out of the hands of simply one human judge. “The strength of the jury is a diversity in decision making, which makes for a very robust process.” [3] Additionally, juries serve “many purposes and...