The Triceratop is basically one big “Somebody Else’s Problem” field covering the top half of her body. And since a pair of legs wandering around without a perceptable torso would also generate a SEP field, Dina would thus be completely invisible except to onlookers who knew to look for her.
This might also explain Dina’s uncanny hiding ability in other circumstances.
*percievable. Sorry, it’s gonna keep bothering me otherwise. ^^”
saki
Aaand of course I typoed perceivable. *shakes fist at self*
Lumin
The only thing that’s the matter with ‘perceptable’ is the spelling: it’s ‘perceptible’. Why do you say it ought to be ‘perceivable’?
Arkham
It’s almost splitting hairs, but not quite. Perceptible means able to be detected by the senses (as opposed to being indiscernible). Perceivable is not only detecting but consciously understanding the sensory input so as to know what it is.
An observer would see the actual physical form of the Triceratop but, because of its almost magical deception properties, would not make the mental connection that there is a person inside it. And, as the original comment continues, seeing only a pair of legs walking around is itself an unfathomable situation and would be mentally not perceived (mentally ignored) as well.
saki
I didn’t know perceptible was actually a word in English. ^^”
Wasn’t that an early dilbert strip? Dinosaurs didn’t go exitinct, they just hid behind peoples furnitures (and were later used for gags about obsolete programming languages)
Lurlock
Dinosaurs didn’t go extinct. They’re flying all around in the trees.
Lurlock
(I could’ve sworn the “s” tag meant “strong”. Oops. That’s why we need either preview or edit features in these forums.)
Bagge
Where’s the fun in that?
Pat
You probably want b for bold, or maybe i for italics.
Maybe she *doesn’t* have to be stealth! She just needs to get Raidah to notice her, and comment on her “special-ness” in front of Jacob! Raidah might mention meeting Dina at the mall, and Dina might correct her on that whole debacle, mentioning the slights. In front of Jacob.
Oh, thank you, I knew there was a reason I keep thinking of Raidah as a condescending bongo along with REALLY needing to grow up but couldn’t think of where it was.
Yeah she seems like the kind of sanctimonious judgemental bongo that expects everyone not exactly like her is defective and needs help or condemnation while thinking she is “saving them”
I bet if she found out one of her friends was being sexually abused by a parent she would be all “you just don’t understand how affection works”
I don’t think so. She doesn’t understand neuro-divergency, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand sexual abuse. Don’t put that on her. She’s awful, but she’s not horrible.
I wouldn’t even go so far as to call her awful. She was actively pleasant to Joyce and quick to shut down her posse’s mockery of Dina; ignorance of and inexperience with neuroatypical folks is pretty common and perfectly curable.
The only thing I hold against Raidah is her certainty that Dana was doing as well as she pretended.
oldFart
Hmmm, that is the first time I have seen or heard “neuroatypical”. I like it. I am not considered neurotypical (or “ordinary”, as I sometimes say). I may try that moniker on for size. Sounds better than my alphabet soup diagnostic label.
Smashwidget
“neurodivergent” is the more common term as far as I know.
timemonkey
Even that is likely a self-defensive mechanism. Dana HAS to been alright and Sarah HAS to have been a backstabbing bongo because if Sarah was right than she fucked up, she fucked up BAD. She doesn’t want to acknowledge that so she doubles down on the belief Sarah was wrong and bullies her harder.
Tl:dr- “What have I…what has she done!?”
gkheyf
And now she may never be proved wrong.
After finding out the full back story, going back to reread all the times where Raidah bullied and bongoed at Sarah does not make her any more appealing as a character
hof1991
There’s a good book about the science behind that titled Mistakes were made but not by me. Humans rarely backtrack and change their position on anything. Too much cognitive work. Easier to just double down. You often have to wait for a generation to die to change mass opinion about something.
Chubsius
Yeah but she was hella condescending. She declared Dina mentally-challenged after exchanged just one sentence with her. I’d add to what Dina said: Raidah probably thought she was keeping her friends in check more than she actually was.
130 thoughts on “Eavesdrop”
Chrissy
You mayyy find yourself slightly more noticeable as a dinaceratops.
LeslieBean4Shizzle
Yeah… I don’t think I could ignore dinaceratops if she was following me around.
Plasma Mongoose
But Dinaceratops are the ninjas of the dinosaur world, everybody knows that.
Someone
Radiah: did you here something?
Jacob: don’t worry it’s just a harmless triceratops
Tacos
Do not doubt the sneakitude-ness of Dina.
Tawdry Quirks
The Triceratop is basically one big “Somebody Else’s Problem” field covering the top half of her body. And since a pair of legs wandering around without a perceptable torso would also generate a SEP field, Dina would thus be completely invisible except to onlookers who knew to look for her.
This might also explain Dina’s uncanny hiding ability in other circumstances.
saki
*percievable. Sorry, it’s gonna keep bothering me otherwise. ^^”
saki
Aaand of course I typoed perceivable. *shakes fist at self*
Lumin
The only thing that’s the matter with ‘perceptable’ is the spelling: it’s ‘perceptible’. Why do you say it ought to be ‘perceivable’?
Arkham
It’s almost splitting hairs, but not quite. Perceptible means able to be detected by the senses (as opposed to being indiscernible). Perceivable is not only detecting but consciously understanding the sensory input so as to know what it is.
An observer would see the actual physical form of the Triceratop but, because of its almost magical deception properties, would not make the mental connection that there is a person inside it. And, as the original comment continues, seeing only a pair of legs walking around is itself an unfathomable situation and would be mentally not perceived (mentally ignored) as well.
saki
I didn’t know perceptible was actually a word in English. ^^”
Opus the Poet
Only on Saturdays and alternate Tuesdays. 😀
Leinad Werecat
That Hitchhiker’s Guide reference though~
Rowen Morland
Unless she starts playing cricket.
Baggy
Heyyyyyy. First comments are Jen’s job!!
Rycan
And this is getting olllllld.
Darkoneko
Yes, it is..
Roborat
Oh come on, everybody needs a day off now and then. She got a temp to cover for her.
Aeron
Dinaceratops didn’t survive for millions of years by being easy to detect. They still roam the Earth today. See? You didn’t even notice them!
Bagge
Wasn’t that an early dilbert strip? Dinosaurs didn’t go exitinct, they just hid behind peoples furnitures (and were later used for gags about obsolete programming languages)
Lurlock
Dinosaurs
didn’tgo extinct. They’re flying all around in the trees.Lurlock
(I could’ve sworn the “s” tag meant “strong”. Oops. That’s why we need either preview or edit features in these forums.)
Bagge
Where’s the fun in that?
Pat
You probably want b for bold, or maybe i for italics.
merbrat
Maybe she *doesn’t* have to be stealth! She just needs to get Raidah to notice her, and comment on her “special-ness” in front of Jacob! Raidah might mention meeting Dina at the mall, and Dina might correct her on that whole debacle, mentioning the slights. In front of Jacob.
Plasma Mongoose
“Sick’em Rex err I meant Dina!”
Hi
“That was just a way to get you to stop talking about me!”
brumagem
Is Dina the new Ninja Rick?
Stephen R. Bierce
“Do not presume a woman does not have DINAS at her disposal.”
Plasma Mongoose
“Dina’s sword will not be sheathed until it tastes blood!”
Someone
Dina should start hiring herself out as a mercenary, that was pretty much ninja ricks deal
Someone
But Ninja Rick never had any sneakiness, his ninja skills all involved swords, so far Dina has shown no sword skills
saki
Who needs sword skills when you have raptor skills?
-Sentinel-
She sure has rope + hook skills: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/return/
saki
Oh hey, I forgot about this! … Man they really coulda used Dina over in SP! – before the class 1-9-9-7 anomaly that is.
Opus the Poet
Dina is extra adorable here, and also using her ninja skills for good.
A Scientist
Dina’s at her most detectable right now! This is not a good time for covert ops!
Disloyal Subject
That’s the best time for covert ops! It tests your skills to the limit!
Touchfuzzy
Its time for Cover’cera’tops
Opus the Poet
Bad pun. No, seriously, way too convoluted to be a “good” pun.
caesaria82
lol these two are totally gonna end up besties, aren’t they? 😉
Andr3wtime
Dina is Sarah’s Dobby spying on Sarah’s Malfoy.
JessWitt
Actions before contractions, Dina! It’s go time!
gkheyf
Yes, that is how pregnancy works
JessWitt
Darn it gkheyf, I’m a ninja, not a doctor!
Sanguine Cavalier
Is that why you lack super-strength?
http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/1p17/
Tori
I need to find a way to work “actions before contractions” into conversation.
Plasma Mongoose
More like “Actions leads to Contractions” am I right?
Jackson
Sarah’s face in panel 4 as she sees Dina coming back: +1 +1 +1
gkheyf
Dina’s presence is so well hidden that we didn’t even notice her spying on the comments from the last comic! Seriously fourth wall, make an effort!
Lucina
…wait, is Sarah shouting that across the lunchroom in panel 3? that seems a little… attention-attracting.
timemonkey
Amber scream at the to of her lungs flipping table barely got noticed
gkheyf
Never overestimate the attention span of college students
Lord Stoneheart
Sarah throwing her tray and yelling does seem to be a bit more conspicuous.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/coffin/
saki
I really love Sarah and Dina as a team! 😀
DarkOracle
For those curious:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/05-saturdays-all-right-for-slighting/challenged/
Sionyx
Oh, thank you, I knew there was a reason I keep thinking of Raidah as a condescending bongo along with REALLY needing to grow up but couldn’t think of where it was.
Sionyx
*snickers* Shows how often I post that I didn’t know about the censoring here!
Chubsius
Oh yeah, I forgot how it was literally after one sentence that Raidah declared Dina to be mentally-challenged. Real nice.
Jack Faire
Yeah she seems like the kind of sanctimonious judgemental bongo that expects everyone not exactly like her is defective and needs help or condemnation while thinking she is “saving them”
I bet if she found out one of her friends was being sexually abused by a parent she would be all “you just don’t understand how affection works”
saki
I don’t think so. She doesn’t understand neuro-divergency, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand sexual abuse. Don’t put that on her. She’s awful, but she’s not horrible.
Disloyal Subject
I wouldn’t even go so far as to call her awful. She was actively pleasant to Joyce and quick to shut down her posse’s mockery of Dina; ignorance of and inexperience with neuroatypical folks is pretty common and perfectly curable.
The only thing I hold against Raidah is her certainty that Dana was doing as well as she pretended.
oldFart
Hmmm, that is the first time I have seen or heard “neuroatypical”. I like it. I am not considered neurotypical (or “ordinary”, as I sometimes say). I may try that moniker on for size. Sounds better than my alphabet soup diagnostic label.
Smashwidget
“neurodivergent” is the more common term as far as I know.
timemonkey
Even that is likely a self-defensive mechanism. Dana HAS to been alright and Sarah HAS to have been a backstabbing bongo because if Sarah was right than she fucked up, she fucked up BAD. She doesn’t want to acknowledge that so she doubles down on the belief Sarah was wrong and bullies her harder.
Tl:dr- “What have I…what has she done!?”
gkheyf
And now she may never be proved wrong.
After finding out the full back story, going back to reread all the times where Raidah bullied and bongoed at Sarah does not make her any more appealing as a character
hof1991
There’s a good book about the science behind that titled Mistakes were made but not by me. Humans rarely backtrack and change their position on anything. Too much cognitive work. Easier to just double down. You often have to wait for a generation to die to change mass opinion about something.
Chubsius
Yeah but she was hella condescending. She declared Dina mentally-challenged after exchanged just one sentence with her. I’d add to what Dina said: Raidah probably thought she was keeping her friends in check more than she actually was.
Aislashu
Quick Dina! Find all the door hiding spots!
doubleW
Luckily, Jason and the Target Lady will be hanging out in a part of the school decorated in nothing but yellow and green.
saki
And with lots of doors within earshot.
JoeMerl