Well the past few weeks have been crazy here in the Land Between Two Rivers. Many curfews and lots of violence in Baghdad. Religion taken to extremes is bad not matter what it promotes. I will be going home fro Christmas in 21 days. Anyone want to spend Christmas and New Years with me and my family? 
salome:
Thank you so much for the erudite compliment on my set! Actually, you are very close: the instrument featured in my set is not a lute but an oud, the Middle Eastern predecessor to the lute, the inspiration for it, if you will. I bought it in Israel.