The Entertaining PC

You've had a really rough day in the classroom or the boardroom you need to relax and unwind. The problem is that you don't always want to leave the house. What do you do? You can't just sit around and do nothing. Psychologists have long told us that entertainment is one of the most important things contributing to our mental health. We've all heard that "All work and no play..."

So let's fire up the trusty PC and get onto the information superhighway. There are literally millions of ways to find entertainment resources on the Internet. In fact there are so many resources that we are going to break them down so your search is focused enough to find what you want. This way the fog of the day will be lifted and you will be recharged.

Go straight to your favorite search engine and start narrowing down your options. Since we all like movies and/or music we can look up any of the following:

• "Movie Downloads" will bring up a huge number of sites where you can download movies one at a time for a set fee. The best sites will offer a subscription based service. This will quickly move you out of the work mode and into relax and have fun mode.
• "Music Downloads" are also popular sites that work on a per item or subscription basis. As always, subscriptions offer the most value for your money.
• "Ipod Downloads" are an up and coming category. As the popularity of the Ipod format grows, so will the listings. The very best thing about Ipods is the sheer number of units sold. This virtually guarantees that the sites you use will contain the best content and the most value.
  

If Movies and Music are not your cup of tea, that's ok too. If you are into gaming specify your format and then what you want to do. Some examples of this strategy are:

• "PSP Downloads" will get you a huge number of sites that specialize in the Playstation Portable format.
• "PSP Movies" is one I never thought of. A friend of mine told me that I could watch movies on my PSP. This is great for the road warrior who carries a laptop and a gaming system.
• "PSP Games" is the most broad category. I would not recommend it unless you are drilling down to find the unique and obscure.
  

You can also fire up your search engine to locate television services. It's really awesome that modern computers allow you to break the monopoly held by your cable TV provider. Essentially you can put a Satellite TV in your PC. Some terms to try are:

• "Satellite TV for PC's" is the most popular search phrase. All of these services are subscription based. And when viewed on your TV, you are mobile. Great for overnight stays during high powered business travel.
• "TV on PC" or "PC TV" or variants will also work. You will get the same targeted results for subscription services. The best part is that you can not only get your normal channels, but unique content from all over the world.
  

As you can see, entertainment is only a mouse click away. Today we live in a dynamic, mobile, fast paced world. It is also a world full of competition and stress. You must guard your mental health by taking time out to relax and enjoy life away from the board room or the class room.