Email: Working in a fishbowl [SD]

It's funny how many people think or work better with music, noise or distraction in the background. I've done fine with that when working in newsroom and fishbowl settings, but it's not my natural inclination and often now it's harder than working in silence. Doing mindless work is perfect for listening to music, of course; often it gives me much-needed energy (esp. if I'm on my second eight hours of the day or my blood caffeine level is already saturated).