CHANGE: At Least 10 States Have Introduced Gold Coins-As-Currency Bills.

CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRESS: Wisconsin Expected To Expand Gun Owner Rights.

STOP THE PRESSES! ThinkProgress Plays The Race Card. “Think Progress misrepresented The Post’s story and mislabeled two individuals as racists. All in a day’s work in the left blogosphere, I suppose.”

I don’t think it’s trumps anymore, though.

PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD: Mark Levin threatens to sue MSNBC, posts $100,000 reward for evidence Sarah Palin promoted murder.

IT’S REALLY NOT BAD, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T EAT OR DRIVE: Don’t Be Lulled Into A Sense Of Low-Inflation Security.

A COOL PHOTO from Eduard Spelterini (1852-1931) pioneer balloonist photographer. More at the link.

MARY CRANE: Stop defending the liberal arts, and start improving them. “Defensiveness is not necessarily a healthy attitude to inhabit for a long period of time. Defensive people are often not very persuasive, because they’re afraid to entertain any critique of what they’re defending. When defense becomes automatic, it may close off inquiry and innovation.”

MARKDOWNS ON luggage, backpacks, and laptop cases.

ROGER SIMON: Yes, the Golden Globes are stupid. But: “One special note for conservatives: dissing Hollywood is easy to do (I do it all the time), but the wise person tries to take it over. This is our culture, molding the minds of the future. Turn it over to the other side, if you wish, but do so at your peril.” Good advice.

YA THINK? NYT: Say, maybe we should have waited for the facts before blaming the Right.

“In the case of the Times, the editors appear to be the problem, not the solution. The failure of the Times on this story had nothing to do with self-publishing a factual error that they quickly corrected, but an editorial decision to focus on a meme that was known to be false long before the editors themselves hit the publish button. Brisbane apparently doesn’t want to talk about that.”

UPDATE: Related: Loughner a Truther/Anarchist: “I am very familiar with this kind of idiot: I saw them all the time at the anti-war rallies I covered between 2003 and 2008. They hate Bush, they hate America, and they ‘hate war’ in that America is usually the dominant combatant in any war and thus it’s an endeavor that tends to solidify American strength. . . . Not that Loughner was sane, or part of a ‘scene.’ We know that now. But to the extent that he was ‘informed’ by a political worldview, it was that of the left-leaning anarchists — at the exact opposite pole from Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.”

CONSUMER-DRIVEN GENETIC TESTING: We Can Handle The Truth.

COVERUP? The Eurie Stamps Investigation Goes Into Lockdown. “Last week, Framingham, Massachusetts, District Court Judge Douglas Stoddart imposed a seal on the search warrants and return sheets for the raid in which police shot and killed 68-year-old Eurie Stamps. Stamps wasn’t a suspect in the drug raid, and he was unarmed when he was shot. . . . Leone also says the name of the police officer who shot Stamps won’t be released until after the investigation has been completed.” Why not? How can you possibly have a right of privacy when you’ve shot someone? No private citizen would receive this sort of protection.

THE CARNIVAL OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN IS UP!

EDWARD NIEDERMEYER: What Would Happen If You Woke Up To $5/Gallon Gasoline? Doesn’t seem all that hypothetical.

UPDATE: Reader Coster Archibald writes: “I don’t know why people are concerned about $5 (or more) gas. Obama promised that energy prices would ‘necessarily skyrocket’. He was elected to do that and he is keeping a campaign promise.”

LEGAL INTERPRETATION: How a horse can be a “vehicle.”

THE “MOST AFFORDABLE” M-Series BMW ever.

WHY THEY’D RATHER TALK ABOUT SARAH PALIN (CONT’D): A Coming Municipal Bond Meltdown? Broke States Rattling Market.

AT THE TATLER, Rick Perry blogs on the 10th Amendment.

IN THE MAIL: Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality.

THE PALINS: The new Kennedy Family? “Obviously, there are differences. The Kennedys posed as European-style aristocracy, and the Palins present themselves as working-class Americans. But both are very much big, colorful families with a strong sense of geographical place — Massachusetts/Alaska — and a mesmerizingly beautiful and feminine woman to fascinate us. Both families have a lot of children who we get to see looking robust and active in outdoor settings — especially boats.”

SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT THE TUITION IS TOO DAMNED HIGH? Food banks for college students.

MAN FACES CHARGES for defying TSA Agents.

ED DRISCOLL: Left-wing Creationism.

TODAY ONLY: A Garmin widescreen GPS with wifi and camera for $62.99. If only everything got better and cheaper as fast as electronics.

UPDATE: Well, maybe not better — a reader emails to note that the reviews on this model aren’t great. Too bad — I’ve had good luck with my Garmins.

LOOK WHAT’S HAPPENED TO EGYPTIAN CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS post-Tunisia.