A Mind Is A Terrible Thing...

There is nothing sadder on this planet than to watch a once-great mind descend into something petty and ugly.

When I was starting out in the broadcast biz back in that seventies decade, there was a well-known and highly regarded programmer named John Rook.

From the sixties on, Rook enjoyed a string of successes, programming some of the best radio stations of the era.
His track record of that period is virtually unequalled. If there is such a thing as a programming genius, it is John Rook.

Or I should say was John Rook.

Mr. Rook is no longer active in the radio biz. Instead, he spend much of his time waxing nostalgic over his past glories and editing weblogs like this one.

Now, I don't know John Rook personally. I've never met the man. I'm not saying he's mentally ill, like Bobby Fischer or the guy in the movie A Beautiful Mind. All I can say is at one time I regarded his work - and his mind - very highly. I admire people who know how to use their minds, and Rook used his better than most.

Now it seems this one-time deep thinker and innovator has become nothing more than a raging asshole.

Madness? No. Mediocrity.

It's damn sad.