May 2026, I decided to take the whole month off. A much needed getaway. An extended trip back home to visit family and friends. I planned an intriguing route by rail beginning in the lush and genteel Surrey Hills and the charming riverside town of Guildford; heading north to the bleak but stunning Pennines; across the Yorkshire Dales; west to the picturesque medieval market town of Shrewsbury; southwest to glorious Bristol and the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge; then further south to the seaside town of Weymouth and the rugged Isle of Portland; day ventures to London and The Tate Modern, Borough Market, the South Bank, Soho, The Barbican and other favorite haunts from my early years; plus a few glorious days in Lisbon and Porto. An incredible adventure. 

While I was traveling, I made a concerted effort to not follow the latest news, avoid TV and radio, dismiss newspaper headlines and close my mind to social media. Difficult as it was at first, I managed to do a rather fine job of ignoring the news. Then, once I stepped back onto US terra firma waiting in a gigantic line to pass through customs I knew I should at the earliest possible convenience call upon a good friend and frequent contributor to Life Elsewhere, Dr. Binoy Kampmark for his eloquent and well-considered opinion on what did I miss while I was traveling. 

In this edition Dr. Kampmark explains what I missed and answers the question, is constant access to news good for us?

Dr Binoy Kampmark is Senior Lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University, Melbourne. He writes columns regularly for CounterPunch

Tara Clerkin Trio – Somewhere Good

While on my travels, during a stay in the effervescent city of Bristol I was alerted to an outfit who have settled there, Tara Clerkin Trio. Despite the singular authority implied by its name – consists of the titular Tara Clerkin, her partner Sunny Joe Paradisos and Sunny’s brother, Patrick Benjamin. Their new album, Somewhere Good is an exceptional collection of songs that thankfully cannot be easily slotted into a well-worn genre. Tara’s charming vocals are complimented by smart inventive instrumentation. Here is a seemingly uncomplicated long-player crafted with graceful production by Dominic Mitchison. Do not overlook this one!