Hey Tallpockets and All who venture this far, Greetings from the new guy. Thought the rule was to find a new way to gush over postings. No? "Constructive critique?" Oh be still my heart. A few of my gentle tries at such critique in this forum have been met with caverns of silence, with one notable exception. CONSTRUCTIVE critique, friends, is the life-blood of creative writing. There isn't much decent writing around, but wow, is there ever a world of excellent re-writing. Hurrah for those who offer CONSTRUCTIVE critique, and for those willing to re-examine their work. Yes, it can be ego-bruising when readers misunderstand your offering. But who is at fault, Public School Number Eight? Don't think so. Look, we all get close to our work, our creations. "Don't you dare call my baby ugly!" Move on from that attitude. Please. You are not a writer if no one wants to read your work. Book covers close and the mouse clicks away. Please examine CONSTRUCTIVE critiques and consider how to improve your offerings. Dick