NPR SAYS SMALL FIBS LEAD TO BIG LIES: Hey, NPR, your fave candidate, Hillary, is a blizzard of lies. Does that make her an Ice Age of fibs?

PROJECT VERITAS: Rigging the Election, Part Three.

I’ll dub it the Duck Muck. Watch the whole thing.

CREATING A PERMANENT CAR CULTURE IN AFGHANISTAN: A detailed Jim Dunnigan analysis of the problems involved in refurbishing Afghanistan’s humvees. “The normal useful life of a hummer in Afghanistan is 7.5 years and currently nearly 60 percent of Afghan hummers are older than that.” Afghanistan doesn’t “have enough troops trained to do simple maintenance and repairs…” Then: “Corruption (mainly stolen parts and tools) and poor management of maintenance personnel (assigning mechanics to other jobs) adds to the problem.” An informative read.

SHOULD OBESE AIRLINE PASSENGERS PAY MORE FOR THEIR TICKETS?: Pay-by-weight is not a new idea. This is a BBC report that really addresses more than that specific issue. The gist of the argument: “A kilo is a kilo is a kilo…” and “…Aircraft only have weight to sell…” Of course individual rights are in the discussion. A passenger’s total weight includes the passenger’s baggage, and the article notes this.

CANDIDATE FOR WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR OWES MILLIONS IN BACK TAXES IN POOR COUNTIES: Where’s the outrage? Oh. He’s a Democrat.

SIRTE NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE: In mid-September the Libyan military reported that its militia coalition had taken the city of Sirte — with the exception of one neighborhood. Islamic State fighters were surrounded in the neighborhood. The neighborhood has proved to be one big bunker.

Abandoned houses have revealed some of their defenses: Household fridges packed with earth act as reinforcements, and bunkers dug under foundations offer protection from air strikes. Last week, Misrata forces (pro-Libyan government militia) found improvised tunnels and a makeshift field hospital. A Reuters witness said that in one house graffiti on the walls indicated a quick escape route for the next fighter to use that hideout.

The Reuters report has some casualty figures for the pro-government Misrata brigades.

ONLY BECAUSE SHE’S IN COURT: Rolling Stone‘s University of Virginia frat rape lie rolls on. Reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely admitted to some errors. Albeit reluctantly. I know, calling Erdely a reporter is a stretch. Fabricator-propagandist-liar may be a more precise description, but let’s see what the court decides.

POSTURING BY DEFENSE FASHIONISTAS: That’s what it is, in several senses of “posturing.” The National Interest article gives a quick look at thoughts from five influential DC think tanks.

This article could also be titled “Loren Thompson Unleashes.” Here’s an example: “Aircraft carriers stand out as the least favored form of sea power, with three of the five think tanks proposing cuts to the carrier fleet.” Then: “But hey, we’re talking about fashion here, not the real world. And when it comes to fashion, nobody, but nobody, is more out of style than the U.S. Army. All of the think tanks except Cato recognize the need to bolster U.S. ground-force presence in Europe, but none of them seems to grasp how starved the Army is for modernization money. Four out of five think tanks propose giving the Air Force and Navy more additional money than the Army, even though the Army is dreadfully unprepared for war in Europe.”

Yes.

RELATED: Italian parliament considers buying new armored vehicles and helicopters. Why? Because they know they need them.

IT COMES DOWN TO THIS: Her crimes, his words. (My latest Observer column, bumped.)

VERY OLD FOSSILS: Science discusses the fossilization process of Ediacara biota and silica’s role in the process.

VIDEO OF IRAQI ARMORED UNIT CLEARING MINES AND IEDS NEAR MOSUL: The Radio Free Europe video is short but gives the viewer a sense of what a mine clearing operation entails. It’s a slow process. The RFE report identifies the Iraqi Army unit as the 9th Armored Division.

IT REALLY HAS COME TO THIS: French police protest lawlessness.

Hundreds of police officers have been protesting in Paris and other cities to denounce what they say are insufficient resources to fight mounting lawlessness, defying government demands that they stop the unauthorised demonstrations. Six months from an election, the protest, now in its third day, has put President François Hollande’s Socialist government on the defensive at a time when security forces are struggling to combat the threat of further terrorist attacks.

HER CRIMES, HIS WORDS: This election’s decision point. My latest Observer essay (bumped).

MAN STEALS CELL PHONE AND CASH, GETS RUN OVER BY VICTIM: A sordid little tale of late night rendezvous, robbery and rough justice in the state capital of Texas.

ALGERIAN SECURITY FORCES COUNTER THE ISLAMIC STATE: Locals don’t want the terrorists around.

NAVAL TECHNOLOGY: Private money designed and built the prototypes of the “ghost boat.” It’s billed as an “attack helicopter of the sea.” The US Navy hasn’t bought it. But…”Last year, Sancoff was served government secrecy orders, which means he’s not permitted to show his patents and technology to anyone.” The photos are great.

IN THIS LAST PUBLIC DEBATE DID HILLARY GIVE US HER PUBLIC POSITION OR HER PRIVATE POSITION?: It’s a reasonable question to ask. In an extremely well-paid speech Hillary delivered to the National Multi-Housing Council, she said “you need both a public and a private position.” Check it out. April 24, 2013.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The 2016 election’s tabloid simplicity. Except it’s now tabloid complicated.

THERE WILL BE A LOT OF THESE IN THE U.S., TOO, IF HILLARY IS ELECTED PRESIDENT: Thailand sees rise in royal defamation cases.

Thai police are investigating 12 new complaints of royal defamation on social media lodged since the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej last week, a sharp rise amid intensifying scrutiny of anything deemed offensive to the monarchy.

Remember this line. Anything deemed offensive to the Queen.

THE HIGGS BISON: Yes, bison, not boson.

WHY HILLARY GOT 200 GRAND A POP FOR HER WALL STREET SPEECHES: “Knowing Hillary’s genuine policy goals is very valuable to investors and business planners. Wall Street toffs who pay her top dollar speaking fees receive off the record insider info American proles don’t get to hear.” See, she holds public and private positions.

ACTUALLY, HILLARY’S CRIMES ARE EASILY EXPLAINED: Here’s how. They inter-relate. And yes, FBI Director Comey compromised his own organization. Great legacy there, Jim.

THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER GOES NUCLEAR TABLOID ON HILLARY’S SCANDALS: The National Enquirer claims a former Clinton “fixer” has spilled the beans on roughly 25 years of scandals. The story will detonate tomorrow, but Drudge is already touting it. Yup, The National Enquirer, take it for what it’s worth. But let’s remember it told the truth about John Edwards, and the lefty mainstream media wouldn’t. My latest Observer essay says this election has a certain type of tabloid simplicity. The Enquirer’s story, however, isn’t simple. It’s tabloid as nuclear warfare. We’ll have to see if the publication can back up its sensational allegations.

UPDATE: Yes, E. Don’t know how the I sneaked in. (My excuse: Working on another column.)

CONSERVATIVES ARE FED UP WITH THE CROOKED MEDIA’S SELECTIVE ORGASMS OF PRIVILEGED OUTRAGE.

HUMAN SHIELDS IN MOSUL: Of course the Islamic State is using them.