Focus on the Family falls on hard times...can anyone spare a dime, er, $6 million?
Bring out the tiny violin...Joe at Amplify received a letter from a desperate Focus On Your Family begging for cash:
Pandagon
We don't need no water
During Obama's campaign, the Fight The Smears website became a useful tool to push back against the right wing willingness to lie their heads off about anything for the slightest partisan gain. So it's unsurprising that they're going with the same strategy in pushing back against the scorched earth bullshit campaign against any kind of health care reform: Health Insurance Reform Reality Check. Of course, it's hard to push back against the exponentially growing pile of complete lies, but it's at least a good start.
Keeping Glenn Greenwald's keyboard warm at Salon on Tuesday
I'll be doing my best to stay away from the Internet entirely, the first time in as long as I can remember that that will happen. We've arranged a team of guest-bloggers -- one for each day next week -- that is truly great and which will, I'm certain, provide much provocative and fulfilling commentary:Monday, August 10 - DigbyTuesday, August 11 - Pam Spaulding
Wednesday, August 12 - The Washington Independent's Daphne Eviatar
Thursday, August 13 - Law Professor Darren Hutchinson
Friday, August 14 - Marcy Wheeler
That should be a very eclectic mix of writing, as some of them write primarily about the issues that I cover most here (Marcy and Daphne), others write about those issues as well as a whole slew of unrelated topics (Digby and Darren), while Pam writes about gay and race issues, and their intersection, as well as anyone in the country. Most of all, they're all very independent and critical analysts who I read regularly, and I'm really glad we were able to arrange for such an excellent group to fill in here while I'm gone.
Come on Glenn, not even EMAIL?! Right. Well, he's a stronger propeller head than I. 
Tuesday was the only day that I was able to do it since I'm not getting back into town until late Sunday and have to go to work on Monday, leaving me only late Mon/early, early Tuesday AM to write. On Wednesday I leave for Pittsburgh to attend Netroots Nation (I'll have a post on that later), so the window was tight this time around.
I still haven't decided what I'm going to write about yet. Of course if there is something breaking LGBT story of note that I would normally write about that I can translate for that audience, it will be all up in the air. I was thinking about writing about health care in the oddball, layperson common-sense POV that I do to see if it draws out a few Salon trolls and psychos who live in their mom's basement in their Cheetos-stained pjs and live for that sort of thing. Or I could lob a race-related bomb into Salon that will challenge people to actually comment. Or maybe the freepers will provide some blogworthy bullsh*t to exploit. Who knows. Suggestions? (Oh, and I really do have a propeller beanie -- it's hanging in my office).
That's Funny
Ross Douthat finally got around to the column we all knew was coming - the embrace of Judd Apatow as the new film Jesus of conservatism.
Today's fantasy lineup
Based on the scoring system at ESPN, I'm leaning towards a 3-5-2 formation to get the most out of the midfield. With 6 points per goal and a point for every clean sheet, they seem a better value than any striker who isn't the unquestioned scoring threat for his team.
But let's start at the back. I hate to say it, but like everybody else, I decided to go with Ben Foster in goal. He's dirt cheap right now, and he'll be in net for Man U for, what, like two months? His value is absurd. I've got Paul Robinson from Blackburn backing him up on the theory that the new scoring weight given to saves might make some of the non-elite goalies worth carrying.
My defenders begin with John Terry. There are no penalty kicks in the EPL, so nothing to fear there, and have you seen Chelsea's opening schedule? Hull City, Sunderland, Fulham, Burnley, Stoke City, Spurs, Wigan. Other than Tottenham Hotspur, those could all be clean sheets. In fact, I'm adding Ashley Cole, too. Already had Warnock and Upson.
To free up more money for my midfielders, I let go of Drogba and Van Persie up front. Since I want to go with a 3-5-2, and I already have Rooney to star and Ebanks-Blake to back up, I just need one more solid startable striker. I like Eduardo, primarily because my Arsenal mates are confident he'll put it in the net.
Now to the glorious midfield. And Lampard. His team's in better shape than Gerrard's, they have a way easier schedule, and the diamond formation = offensive bonanza for him. Frank's in. Arshavin might be the most exciting torpedo in the EPL, and after watching him shred Liverpool last year and seeing how explosive he was just casually running the pitch against Valencia this weekend, he's in. Those two are my anchors and will alternate the captain's badge for double points. Now, to the value, and we must begin with Lucas Leiva for my Reds. He'll be filling in for Aquilani for a couple months, and Benitez has praised him as the best player for Liverpool in the preseason. His goal against Atletico Madrid on Saturday was legit, and he's the finest fantasy bargain in the entire EPL midfield.
Ignore the vacant stare and buy buy buy!
My midfield rounds out with Chris Eagles and Liam Lawrence on the advice of BigSoccer as well as Karl Henry from Wolves on the bench because he'll start every game and not many cheap players can say that.
So for week 1, as of this moment, I will be rolling out:
Foster
Cole-Terry-Upson
Lampard(c)-Arshavin-Leiva-Lawrence-Eagles
Rooney-Eduardo
I'm sure it'll be totally different tomorrow.