Two semi-whiny mac questions for the Group Mind

[substitute]

1) Is there any way to keep applications from egregiously stealing focus, sometimes in damaging and annoying ways? It's bad enough that some noncritical program can just barge in and hide your work and demand a click, but sometimes it also steals your keyboard input immediately or even worse steals the foreground but doesn't give you mouse or keyboard focus, and then you have to flail and swear.

2) How much, roughly, does it cost to replace a Macbook Pro keyboard? I've typed mine to pieces and no AppleCare/warranty/wife/horse/mustache is available.