One more post tonight. This song has been running through my head for days. I finally learned it (poorly) on guitar and piano, in the last day or two. Maybe that will get it out of my skull. No guarantees, though.

If you’re interested in the song, the singer and lyric writer has more on it in this post. Here is a taste:

Judas Unrepentant is a song that concerns Tom Keating. There is plenty available on the internet which will give you information about his life but here is a brief overview.

Tom was an art restorer who eventually turned to art forgery after failing to break into the art market. He was on a personal crusade to destabalise the art world by forging works to fool the experts. He deliberately planted clues in the works that would reveal them as forgeries. He also cunningly managed to falsify provenances for his forgeries.

However, eventually in 1970 an article appeared in The Times concerning auctioneers suspicions about the provenance of thirteen water colours. Tom knew the game was up and handed himself in. He was eventually arrested and charged in 1977 but the case was dropped due to his deteriorating health.

. . . .

Tom Keating’s favourite artist was Rembrandt. The title of the song came from my variation on the title of the painting above which is called ‘Repentant Judas Returning the Pieces of Silver’ by Rembrandt. Tom may possibly have been considered to be a ‘judas’ by the art establishment for his forgeries but because he refused to disclose which forgeries he had made and put into circulation, it struck me that he was an unrepentant judas. I like the drama of the title and it sets the scene for the song.

Absolutely fantastic band and a great, great song. I owe libertarian Tom Woods for introducing me to the band. Let me repay the favor by linking to his Liberty Classroom, an endlessly fascinating resource where I personally spent a not-inconsiderable sum to become a lifetime member. (If you become a member through the link, even for a year, I’ll get a 50% commission, which is absurdly high — and a great way to make a donation here, in addition to gaining access to some invaluable material about history and economics.)

In any event, give the video above a try. I can’t praise it highly enough.

Several commenters shared this video, and I watched all 46 minutes. For those interested in economics — which should be all of you — it is a fascinating video to watch.

Ted Cruz is head and shoulders the best candidate for the presidency since Ronald Reagan. Before him, the only worthy candidate in the last 100 years was Barry Goldwater. Smart, well-prepared, articulate, and always on message — if you don’t like him, it’s your fault, not his.

By the way, this guy swept Wyoming today. Commence your pathetic whining, Trumpeters.

That’s it for me today. I’m going back to reading my advance copy of Randy Barnett’s latest book. I hope to be able to blog about it soon. Great stuff.

I also have — and this is a first — a work of fiction I will be publishing here on April 19. The date is apropos. You’ll see.