The internet has done a lot to disrupt culture.  Once upon a time, styles, techniques, communities and information were only as transmutable as cable TV and word of mouth.  When compared to the rate of change we see today, the evolution of content has moved from a slow creep to nearing light speed.  Ten years ago the lifetime of any trend in humor could last months, and before that years.  These days, you see a popular meme “break the internet” but one week later a new one is there to take it’s place.

Imagine if Charlie Chaplin had risen to fame in this day and age through the vehicle of The Meme.  Would he still be as iconic?  As immortal?

I spoke with Steven Lee… also known as “I’m Fat Let’s Party” Guy.  Steven’s meme has been sported on the front page of reddit twice and has garnered over 400k in likes and shares on social media within the first hours of being posted.  As it happens, Steven and I actually went to the same schools growing up.  However I am jealous because I cannot say that I grew up to be a world-class meme.  I got the chance to speak with him about Memeology.  Here’s what he had to say:

Do you want to skip long queues, drink for free, get good prices on seats or learn how to get a free upgrade to first class? If so, read on because we’ve compiled 5 of the best airport hacks for business traveling. These tips can help you save money and make your trip a bit more comfortable.

1. Sign Up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

If you want to skip long lines, signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry will allow you to breeze through security lines. Once approved, you are whisked ahead and there is no need to take off your shoes or remove your laptop from its case. It makes business traveling easy and more civilized. The US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands and other countries have similar pre-scanning programs that work with Global Entry.

The TSA PreCheck makes traveling domestically simpler while Global Entry makes returning from an international trip easier as it eradicates paperwork and long queues. Basically, they are clearance from the US Customs and Border Protection that designate people as low-risk travelers. All it takes is a background check, interview and payment of fees and you can clear customs in a hurry.

2. Boarding Pass

Boarding passes like tickets are downloadable and printable nowadays. However, we are still a slave of technology and many of us have had embarrassing moments where we can’t find our boarding pass on our phone or the app suddenly hangs. Avoid these embarrassing moments by taking a screenshot of your pass and showing it to the boarding gate. Screenshots are easier to find and don’t require the use of an internet connection.

3. Pay For First Class Lounge

This hack comes in handy if you travel a lot. The first class lounge costs around $30-$50 and has access to free drinks (including alcohol), internet, comfortable seats and free food. In some airports there are even shower rooms and quiet rooms for sleeping. If you have a long lay over, the first class lounge can be money well spent. Business traveling in style.

4. Book the Red-Eye

Taking the red-eye can be less stressful than taking other flights. Taking the last flight in or out helps you avoid the hustle and bustle of the airport and roads. Choose late night flights especially if it’s an overnighter. If it leaves at 10pm, you can avoid rush hour traffic, lines at security and check-in will be minimal and the airport will be less crowded and you can fall asleep during your flight and wake-up at your destination.

5. Save On Internet Fees

Roaming for your cellular device can be very expensive for data and internet. Instead of racking up charges, sign up for Boingo, a wifi hotspot provider. They charge around $4.98 per month for internet access in the Americas and $59 a month for worldwide coverage. Check your American Express platinum card if you can get a subscription for free so you can network while you’re in the air.

Check if your airline has a loyalty program. This will encourage you to travel more frequently as your rack up the miles and get more perks. Keeping this in mind will make your business trips cost less and traveling easier.

Becoming a morning person seems difficult for most. We are repeatedly hitting the snooze button when it’s time to take on the tasks of the day. For most people, this scenario represents the reality of their mornings. Mornings do not have to be miserable, hurried affairs that contribute nothing to our holistic wellbeing. Waking up early and being productive in the morning gives you an edge over ‘the other guy’ who starts working later in the day. It enables you to get a head start on the day’s tasks, and set the rest of your day up for productivity and success. With a few lifestyle and behavioral modifications, you can be well on your way to becoming an early riser.

Eat healthy

Having energy in the morning is connected to diet. Foods high in refined sugars, animal protein, and saturated fats cause insulin to spike and crash in the body. These cycles of high and low insulin take some blame for the post lunch energy crash most people experience. Insulin levels can be held more steady by consuming whole grains, whole fruit, vegetables and nuts and seeds. These foods will keep your energy at a constant level through the day, and will help you feel more energized in the mornings. Additionally, avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon, and sugar before bed will allow you to have better quality sleep.

Exercise regularly

Working up a sweat a few times a week will increase overall energy levels and make getting up early easier. Exercising in nature is particularly beneficial due to its mood boosting potential. One popular exercise routine is high intensity interval training (HIIT). This time saving workout is perfect for busy entrepreneurs. However, the best exercise in one that you can stick with, so if HIIT is not for you, do not worry.

Drink lots of water

Exhaustion often goes hand in hand with dehydration. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to drink 10 glasses of water a day, but you should drink water when thirsty or tired. Adding fruits to water can add a boost of electrolytes without refined sugars that will help boost energy. However, avoid drinking a lot of water right before bed, because this will disrupt your sleep with frequent bathroom trips during the night.

Keep your room cool

Keeping the thermostat anywhere between 65 and 72 degrees will improve quality of sleep and will make getting up early easier. A cool room facilitates a drop in body temperature, a necessary component to falling asleep.

Set a sleep schedule and stick to it

Determine the ideal hours of sleep you need, your target wakeup time, and then work backwards to determine what time you should go to bed. Going to bed at roughly the same time everyday is essential to becoming a morning person. The average time it takes for people to fall asleep is about 14 minutes, so factor this into your calculation. Sleep cycles on average last 90 minutes and you should aim to wake up between sleep cycles to feel refreshed. Apps like Sleepytime will automatically produce alarms at 90 minute intervals, with 14 minutes added to the time you go to bed to help you determine the ideal time to set your alarm.

Don’t hit the snooze button

Hitting the snooze button multiple times in the morning disrupts valuable sleep time, and decreases the quality of your sleep. If you must have a ‘snooze’ button, set 2 alarms one and a half hours apart coordinated with your sleep cycle. Set one as your ‘ambitious’ alarm and schedule some task to do during the extra 90 minutes you would receive in the morning. Tasks that require focus are good to complete in the morning to due to minimum distractions from social media and messages. This may be one of the biggest changes you can make to become a morning person.

Avoid starting text conversations near bedtime

The blue light from your electronic device will disrupt your body’s internal clock tricking it into believing the sun has come up already and making you feel more awake rather than sleepy. Also, it can be difficult to end a lively text conversation because it can seem impolite, especially if you have an early bedtime set in your sleep schedule that the friend may not respect as much as you do. A better way to catch up with friends is actually talking on the phone since this minimizes the blue light, and makes it easier to end a conversation.

Use white noise

White noise is effective at creating quality sleep because it is calm, repetitive, and boring. It minimizes auditory distractions while asleep. Especially if you live in the city, car horns and other noise distractions can disrupt quality sleep and wake you up several times in the night.

Ultimately becoming a morning person has to do with improving sleep quality, increasing energy levels, and creating consistency with your daily routine. Getting work done in the mornings, and creating good habits will set the rest of your day up for success, and will give you a competitive edge. A habit is formed with approximately 30 days of repetition. Getting up early will be difficult for the first few days, but eventually your body will adapt, and after 30 days it will become effortless.