Stu Fleming
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thebasement.nz
Stu Fleming
@thebasement.nz
Māpua, New Zealand
This is like Googling for a solution to a problem and finding the first hit is yourself asking the same question a few years prior.
I got a tip that all over the world, people are using a dead-simple hack to manipulate AI behavior. It turns out changing what AI tells other people can be as easy as writing a blog post *on your own website*

I didn’t believe it, so I decided to test it myself www.bbc.com/future/artic...
I hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI – and it only took 20 minutes
I found a way to make AI tell you lies – and I'm not the only one.
www.bbc.com
February 19, 2026 at 12:12 AM
“Demand was way overcooked”
Minister Todd McClay opens door to refinancing or buying out $100m debt incurred in project blowout. Jonathan Milne reports.
Waimea Dam bailout plea shows why public sector fails at big infrastructure
newsroom.co.nz
February 18, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Due to the economic situation, the card in Monopoly now reads "Bank error in your favour. Collect $10 after filling out multiple forms and verifying your identity by setting up Multi-Factor Authentication through our world-class KYC processes. We will text you a verification code"
Due to the economic situation, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off.
Due to the economic situation, you can now only have cut OR dried. Not both.
February 18, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Due to the economic situation, you can now only have cut OR dried. Not both.
February 18, 2026 at 10:17 PM
I’m submitting a proposal to NZ’s space programme for funding to buy this

www.facebook.com/share/1MVMYp...
Redirecting...
www.facebook.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:53 PM
“Excuse me sir, that’s a broom cupboard that you’ve stormed off into”
From @theathletic.com: The Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath was heartbroken after he lost a slalom gold medal that was his to take. He threw his poles, unstrapped his skis, and stormed off, alone with his thoughts as the world watched on.
Olympic skier throws poles, heads for woods after skiing out with gold in reach
A heartbroken Atle Lie McGrath walked off the course after failing to finish his second run in the men's slalom.
nyti.ms
February 18, 2026 at 8:19 PM
I remember when Senna did this in Monaco, just got out of the car and walked home to his apartment
February 18, 2026 at 7:26 PM
I strongly encourage the RBNZ to go further down this route of “circulate the money to help the economy” and to do detailed studies of where large amounts of money might be “getting stuck”
February 18, 2026 at 6:58 PM
RAM shortage so severe, you can no longer buy memory foam mattresses
February 18, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Can’t. I can the can.
Can't. I'm just tired and bored with myself.
Can’t. I’m in love with a starship trooper.
February 18, 2026 at 7:14 AM
High accuracy/low precision characterisation always confuses me.
February 18, 2026 at 6:20 AM
Can’t. I’m in love with a starship trooper.
Can’t. I don’t want to.
Can't. I'm working in a cocktail bar
February 18, 2026 at 5:46 AM
February 18, 2026 at 3:24 AM
Empathy
February 18, 2026 at 3:00 AM
A newsreader from Point Chevalier,
With l’esprit d’escalier
Said with a pout,
“I sounded it out
and pronounced it the same way I hear”
Truly incredible moment just now from an RNZ newsreader who mentioned the Auckland neighbourhood Point Chevalier pronouncing it, like, how you'd think; she then stopped, apologized, and said "that's 'point chev-a-LEER' for the locals"
February 18, 2026 at 1:45 AM
I didn’t think they’d ever remake Finding Mr Goodbar
What if Lemon Party and Grindr did a cross-promotion.
February 18, 2026 at 1:24 AM
RAM shortage so severe that only the original Dance Dance Revolution is being produced for sale
RAM shortage so severe that Venus is now officially credited to Bananaa
February 18, 2026 at 1:05 AM
RAM shortage so severe they're using sheep to break into Michael Hill stores
RAM shortage so severe they're rendering the New Zealand Prime Minister with no subsurface scattering
RAM shortage so severe that while there were still clear skies in Tasman, they’ve had to reduce the frame rate to Monday speeds on a Wednesday to cut down the rendering load on distant mountains
February 18, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Before I did die of sepsis tho, I’d have a real crack at installing soft-close cabinet hinges on as many boxes, chests and cupboards as possible around the palace
People always ask, "What would you do if you were born in another time period?"

With my health the answer is almost always, "Die before kindergarten."

Medical progress is the real deal, buddies.
before antibiotics did people just die all the time from everything?
February 17, 2026 at 11:32 PM
This is all correct and the cultural drivers have existed since forever.
This guy (@glutelord.bsky.social) is correct about a lot of the discourse around "looksmaxxing" and so much of guys' ideas of what men should look like, and he should keep saying it.
February 17, 2026 at 10:58 PM
RAM shortage so severe that while there were still clear skies in Tasman, they’ve had to reduce the frame rate to Monday speeds on a Wednesday to cut down the rendering load on distant mountains
RAM shortage so severe there was serious fog in TUCSON, ARIZONA this morning to cut down on rendering load for distant mountains
RAM shortage so severe there was dense fog in DC this morning to cut down on rendering load for distant objects
February 17, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Honestly, you can’t have a decades-long anti-intellectual stance AND great leadership
February 17, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Increased energy costs are at the root of this
Basic goods are really struggling.
- Potatoes up 16.2% annually
- Tomatoes up 31.9%
- Kiwifruit up 40.6%
- Oranges up 19.9%
- Beef Mince up 18.8%
- Sausages up 10.5%
- Cheese up 16.5%
- Butter up 17.7%
- Chocolate up 20.5%

If you need a coffee after that - that's up 8.2%
February 17, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Brain: you awake?
Me: just drifting off, why?
Brain: the reason spheres of influence are back is as cover for large criminal cartels in those spheres
February 17, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Call me old and jaded, but I do not believe that nuclear fusion power generation will be commercialised at scale in my lifetime

www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
Govt backs Wellington fusion project after major levitating magnet breakthrough
A group of 65 geniuses in Wellington are proving the world that nuclear fusion using a levitating magnet is only four years away. The Government’s so convinced, it’s investing $35m.
www.stuff.co.nz
February 17, 2026 at 6:33 PM