Hi, Ron! Very good reply from you and, by the way, I listened to "Be My Friend" which is a very well done song. Cheers! There's always a place for happy endings. Our microcosm is made up mostly of those of us who are older and have influences from the 60s, 70s, and 80s; songwriters who really knew the craft even if that sounds biased. The songs I listen to here always has a lot of high quality songwriting. I do keep up with the Billboard charts and I've pitched several songs. Sometimes I get newsletters with songs that do get chosen and it's often shocking and dismal. The site Broadjam (not to be confused with Billboard) is a microcosm that more closely reflects the industry and it has changed markedly in the last five years. Even Broadjam's charts react in a similar way to Billboard's. So a little harsh? Yes. A lot...unfortunately I'd have to say no. This could be a really interesting topic in another one of our forums!...perhaps how has pop and country songwriting changed? The music industry has always been overloaded with greed and jealousy, and it reflects the mood and the times the younger people are in...what's "in," what's "cool." Now we have literal marketing/songwriting factories comprised of teams to cater to the latest moods and whims. But now and then I'll throw in a wrench to see if anyone is awake and is curious about what's going on!