Things that make it impossible for me to concentrate

Things that make it impossible for me to concentrate and generally just drive me up the wall, but I find myself often having to deal with them anyway:

• Having a TV on (any situation when I am not devoting my energy to specifically watching it, including if it's on and showing a blue screen in the same room as me, making that high-pitched whine that most people seem unable to hear)
• Ambient noises of cafeterias, coffee houses, and bars
• Vacuum cleaners and similar motors

Currently listening: Bat for Lashes—What's a Girl to Do?