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Emmy Blotnick

Emmy Blotnick

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Blogger for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Comedy-doer. http://emmyblotnick.com

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5 Historical Attempts to Ban Coffee

Coffee may seem harmless, but its historical rap sheet is a mile long. 1. Mecca Coffee was banned in Mecca in 1511, as it was believed to stimulate radical thinking and hanging out—the governor thought it might unite his opposition. Java also got a bad rap for its use as a stimulant—some Sufi sects would pass around a bowl of coffee at funerals to stay awake during prayers. (Note to Starbucks: Time for a new size, the Funeral Bowl.) 2. Italy When coffee arrived in Europe in the 16th century,... READ ON

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DID YOU KNOW? Marlon Brando hated memorizing lines so much that he posted cue cards everywhere to help him get through scenes. He even asked for lines to be written on an actress's posterior. (That request was denied.)