# What were they thinking?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-they-thinking/512066>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 30, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-they-thinking/512066 "2009-09-30T03:30:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-they-thinking/512066/1 "2009-09-30T03:30:34Z")

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Have you ever had someone do something that made you wonder how on Earth they could think to do what they did?

I was reminded of this today. I run programming for Albacon, a science fiction convention in Albany, NY. It’s held over Columbus Day weekend – a week and a half from now.

Today, I got an e-mail from someone who I never heard of. She suggested eight panels on costuming (we are not a big costuming con – don’t even have a masquerade this year).

Of course, she can’t be on eight panels, so she evidently expects me to find people to be on some of them.

I’ve already sent people their preliminary schedules (and put it online).

Does she really think I have room on the program to fit eight more panels (and find participants) a week and a half before the con?

I replied saying, “So these are for 2010, then?”

Has this sort of thing happened to you?

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**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-they-thinking/512066/2 "2009-09-30T13:34:28Z")

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Good answer!  
Not openly rude, yet a bit of a thump to the forehead.  
Nicely done!

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**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-they-thinking/512066/3 "2009-09-30T16:47:13Z")

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Hey, I’ll do it if somebody puts me up and I get free Cona dmission. And maybe some snacks.