Can the Magic 8 Ball Find a New Purpose?

The Magic 8 ball, a popular fortune-telling toy, has long been a source of amusement and curiosity for many. With just a simple shake, it offers seemingly random responses to questions, providing an air of mystery and intrigue. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the outlook portrayed by the Magic 8 ball is not actually bright, but rather quite limited and pessimistic. The Magic 8 ball consists of a hollow plastic sphere with a window on one side. Inside the sphere, there is a 20-sided die, also known as an icosahedron. Each face of the die is printed with a different response, ranging from positive statements like "It is certain" to negative ones like "Outlook not so good".

So, yeah. Complicated. But this does seem to be cyclical in my family and it might just be my turn - even for a little while, but maybe a long one. Just something about how I’m wired and much of my fam before me; very hard to just turn your back and say “No thanks, that would be quite inconvenient and seriously disrupt my aimless time wasting.”

Just something about how I m wired and much of my fam before me; very hard to just turn your back and say No thanks, that would be quite inconvenient and seriously disrupt my aimless time wasting. Not like I can t afford an increase in cost of living; but if they paid for nothing that would take me from high savings rate to paycheque to paycheque considering the cost of insulin and diabetes supplies.

Each face of the die is printed with a different response, ranging from positive statements like "It is certain" to negative ones like "Outlook not so good". While the variety of potential responses may initially give the impression of a balanced perspective, it is important to note that nearly half of the possible answers are negative or ambiguous in nature. This disproportionate representation of negative responses creates a bias in the Magic 8 ball's outlook, skewing it towards a less optimistic view of the future.

Magic 8 ball outlook is not bright

Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 21,013
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Could really use some answers.

Like, if I choose option A, how's that going to turn out in the long run? For me, for others.

And if I choose option B, how's that going to turn out?

Or C/something in between, again, how's that going to turn out?

With no or crystal ball, or even just a magic 8 ball, it's all just pure guesswork and speculation. I could make what I think is a good decision and have it go to absolute s**t, or I could choose something else that's more of a gamble and it could turn out just fine.. or every other possible combination. And of course I'm talking about much more complicated human factor stuff than run of the mill purchase decisions or whatever. Just reeeeeeeallly wishing I had some way of knowing how things might play out if I made certain choices or others - would make the whole decision making process a heck of a lot easier.

Joined: 7 Jul 2014
Age: 123
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 33,859
Location: Out of my mind

^ there's no way to know what's really best in the future, that's half the excitement of living.

How to do it is
Do as much thinking/pondering/research beforehand as you can
Then make a snap decision
And go with it.

Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 21,013
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

^ there's no way to know what's really best in the future, that's half the excitement of living.

How to do it is
Do as much thinking/pondering/research beforehand as you can
Then make a snap decision
And go with it.

Kinda what the timeline is forcing, really.

Initial info Friday afternoon, discussions over the weekend, phone calls to make tmw for more info, then maybe a conference call Tuesday - and according to others imposing tight deadlines, a decision will have to be made pretty quick.

The only real bright side is that the initial decision is allowed to be temporary vs. permanent, but then I'd have to figure out a longer term decision.

And of course it's all further complicated by so many other complicated scenarios playing out at the same time - so it's not like there's just One single solo issue to make a decision on and deal with, as everything else impacts everything else.

Joined: 7 Jul 2014
Age: 123
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 33,859
Location: Out of my mind

Joined: 6 May 2008
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 59,145
Location: Stendec

Magic 8-Ball Says: "Yes Definitely".

For Entertainment Purposes Only!

Joined: 4 Feb 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 87,510
Location: Queens, NYC

8-Ball in the side pocket!

Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 21,013
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

And of course different people in the know have entirely different opinions and interests, understandably so. No easy right answer(s) - no matter what chances are some people are going to be happy, and others annoyed/upset. Maybe.

Thanks for that one - not the Fnord's wasn't funny, but when I got to this post it really made me laugh!

Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 21,013
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

It seems like only last Friday I was free as a bird.. good job & income, car & motorcycle, inexpensive rent, no other real obligations or commitments outside of work unless I take on a small side job or do a favour for someone. Free to come and go as I please, have a drink, hop on my motorcycle and rip to the beach for sunset..

..and then over the last few days of family news there’s a strong probability that I may take on temporarily, or permanently, raising a 14yo type one diabetic I’ve hardly seen for a decade. My cousin’s kid, one of my God kids. Bio parents are unfit for a variety of reasons, grandparents are too old and disabled to be granted full time custody, my cousin has a toddler and growing family/different life plans, my older brother has a house full of kids bursting at the seems with their blended family, my twin brother is newly married and they have renovations and educations/career improvements going on, my sister is a full time mom but no way they have space or a car/energy etc.

I’ve been in a bit of a funk for a couple years since more than 20 people I know died in that time, including this boy’s aunt. In many ways the daily routine and purpose would be good for me, too.

I dunno if it would constrain me from taking any part time uni classes tbh; maybe not - not like I’ve been productively doing any of that the last couple years. And busy people get things done, so, it might even better enable me to focus on a remote learning class at home.

I’d have to go rent a 2 bedroom place near his high school - shouldn’t be a big deal, the Ministry *should* pay for almost e v e r y t h i n g from rent to diabetes care. I still have to confirm that.

And all this while my father is.. gravely ill. Advanced cancer, heart attack/condition, full blown diabetes that went undiagnosed for months - there’ve been plenty of times since Summer when it could have been his last breath already. His older sister pointed out to me that my parents/mom are going to need me big time when the time comes. Can’t disagree with that.

There aren’t really any other viable options in the extended family on my mother’s side. And if I decline I might really regret it. I could also agree to a temporary thing and see how that goes while the Ministry continues to seek a placement. (highly unlikely to find for a type 1 diabetic 14yo)

He’s a Good kid and a bit young for his age (and always will be) - different than his very rebellious older sister. Letting him go to a group home Might be like throwing him to wolves. If I take him on it would drastically change my life and priorities, but maybe for the better. I’d at least have backup from his grandparents and my siblings from time to time if I want to get away for a whole day/wknd.

Being 14 and decently good at his own diabetes care I’d still be able to go out for a few hours w/o having to arrange a babysitter or anything.

Plus there’s a reason I’m God father to all of these kids - their parents all Know I’m good with kids and would make a good stand in should they die. It’s not like I’ve never thought I might have to actually take on the responsibility. And it just seems to be a thing in my family.. my grandmother, aunt, uncle, cousin, and even my parents very temporarily have all taken on other family members’ kids to raise when their parents were incapable.

His foster mother of 10 years is in her 70’s and is a super strict woman that’s turning into a cranky old b***h. Says if the ministry doesn’t take him, she will drop him off at the hospital and leave - as she did with another diabetic kid once. She didn’t get in trouble for that one because the kid truly needed medical attention for diabetes. But in this case she has full proper custody of him and could be charged with child abandonment - says she doesn’t care. In her world, she’s good with kids from grades 1-6, and has almost never dealt with teenagers and at her age just refuses now.

My dad’s sister pointed out that I should also ask about counselling services as he may need them after being booted from his “forever,” home. (She doesn’t like that I’ve been asked if I would do this.) I pointed out to her that we might not be privy to it, but if I decline - even temporarily - he’s likely to need counselling services over the fact that he has an extended bio family dotted all around the area and not one single member of his family could even temporarily take him in. She saw that point.

Besides work and play and wasting time however I see fit, it’s not like I’d be disrupting any productive goals I’m on track with or anything. Might even make me more productive for having other time commitments. Also not like I have a wild social life to disrupt lol it’s been 2 years of Covid and I changed jobs from typically working in the city to working close to home. And I rented a place to live in the neighbourhood his high school is in before for 13 months ~13 years ago - it’s one of my all time favourite neighbourhoods in the entire region and I wouldn’t complain about moving there again. It’s about a 15 minute drive from where I live now.

Definitely not fully decided, need to gather more info from a social worker today. Leaning towards at least temporarily trying things out so he’s not abandoned at the hospital. But we all know how that would likely go.. if it works out Okay, temporary would become permanent and I’d go rent a place. At the moment I have my other Aunt’s Okay to have him stay at her place where I’m house sitting - which is good because then it keeps my parents at arms length and hands off because as much as I would love my own mother’s backup on this and to have him in a spare bedroom at their home instead, I Know that they don’t need/can’t handle any additional work or stress right now so if I do this *I* have to do it.

And if I don’t do it (if approved by the Ministry) I might regret it and wonder how he is or if I could have handled it easier than I think.. plus even though it wouldn’t be my problem, there would be a lot of stress and broken hearts in the family. If I do do it, even temporarily, there’ll be a lot of relieved full hearts. I’ve been specifically told not to feel obligated, but of course it’s only natural to feel some level of obligation.

So, yeah. Complicated. But this does seem to be cyclical in my family and it might just be my turn - even for a little while, but maybe a long one. Just something about how I’m wired and much of my fam before me; very hard to just turn your back and say “No thanks, that would be quite inconvenient and seriously disrupt my aimless time wasting.”

I guess I have a few phone calls to make today to find out about requirements and exactly what they’d pay for. Not like I can’t afford an increase in cost of living; but if they paid for nothing that would take me from high savings rate to paycheque to paycheque considering the cost of insulin and diabetes supplies. But chances are they’d sign him back in as being under Ministry care again and then pay for everything until he’s at least 18/stops going to school.

Annnnnd time to finish my coffee, take a deep breath, get ready and fly out the door to work.. and then contemplate possibly giving up my freedom for now or long term on the drive. Fun!

It’s also been a blessing he’s had a good home for a decade and in that time I’ve been able to get my health, life, career & finances in order - sooo I’m better capable now than if this was thrust upon me before. I couldn’t have done it 10 years ago.

Annnnd I’m rather critical of party life gays that never so much as volunteer for a youth organization or anything. Not like I’m 21 waiting in line at night clubs. But yeah this would be a bigger commitment than part time volunteering lol I realize - but still, if I don’t even explore it as a temporary thing I’d be pretty hypocritical.

Furthermore, the algorithm used to determine which response is displayed when the ball is shaken is simple and based on randomness. It does not take into account the specific question asked or any contextual information. As a result, the Magic 8 ball's answers lack depth and specificity, often providing vague or generic responses that can be interpreted in multiple ways. The reliance on chance and lack of personalized insight further diminishes the value of the Magic 8 ball's outlook. Its predictions are not based on any real expertise or knowledge, but rather on simple probabilities. This limits its ability to provide meaningful guidance or accurate predictions. In conclusion, while the Magic 8 ball may be entertaining and hold a certain nostalgic charm, its outlook should not be taken too seriously. The limited range of responses, the random nature of its predictions, and its lack of personalized insight all contribute to a rather dim view of the future. Instead, it is advisable to seek guidance from reliable sources or trusted individuals who can provide more informed and meaningful advice..

Reviews for "The Magic 8 Ball's Battle for Survival"

1. John - 1 star - I found the "Magic 8 ball outlook is not bright" to be completely useless. The answers provided were vague and often contradictory. It's almost as if they just randomly generated responses without any real meaning behind them. Save your money and don't bother with this app.

2. Mary - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the "Magic 8 ball outlook is not bright". The concept seemed fun, but in reality, the answers it gave were far from helpful. It felt more like a random generator rather than a reliable source of guidance. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for genuine insights or advice.

3. David - 1 star - The "Magic 8 ball outlook is not bright" app was a complete waste of my time. The predictions it made were so far from reality that it was laughable. I don't understand how anyone could take this seriously. Don't be fooled by the hype, this app is nothing more than a gimmick.

4. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for the "Magic 8 ball outlook is not bright", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The answers provided were generic and lacked any real depth. It felt like the app was just pulling answers from a pre-set list without any real thought or insight. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone seeking genuine guidance.

5. Mark - 1 star - The "Magic 8 ball outlook is not bright" app was a complete waste of money. The responses it provided were so vague and nonsensical that they were useless. It seemed like a cheap attempt at making money off people's curiosity. I regret downloading this app and would advise others to stay away.

The Diminishing Influence of the Magic 8 Ball