Electric Fishwrap has moved

Back in July I asked for advice on how to make my commute more productive. I didn’t get many posts here, but I asked Wired Journalists and on other message boards where I am a member of the community.

I got a lot of great suggestions. Here are the results in a Wordle cloud.

Many people realize that commutes are boring, and nobody really wants to be there. But as much as the commuter wants to be elsewhere, safety is a factor.

Since my radio reception is less than optimal, others suggested satellite radio, learning a new language, buying an iPod and books on tape. When thinking about this during a commute recently, I realized my commute is not great for learning a new language. The road noise is terrible. If anyone calls me during my commute (don’t worry, I have an ear piece) they can’t hear me very well. It only stands to reason I might miss a key phrase if learning a new language (my language of choice would be Spanish).

There were a number of people who suggested to pay attention to the road (with varying levels of annoyance). Jason Molinet on Wired Journalists suggested carpooling and starting a commuter blog with a dash cam. Not a bad idea, but I don’t know if I have the personality to pull that off.

With few options left, I’ve decided to just think about my upcoming day and write stories in my head. If I come across a particularly good line, I’ll dictate it into my audio recorder. I’ve been practicing this for a week and I feel more focused. Anything helps.