#TBT - Back to Red Square in 2005

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by Skip Cohen

Back in the "old days"....very, very old days - there was a great bar in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay called Red Square. It closed in November 2019, but plenty of WPPI attendees were there at least one night at every convention.

For some reason, no matter where the show was held, that last night was ALWAYS at Red Square, a Russian-themed vodka bar, with the top of the actual bar a sheet of ice. For an absurd amount, if you bought a bottle, you could have drink it in the walk-in cooler toasting whatever made you smile, while wearing Russian attire and joined by a bust of Stalin covered in fake bird crap!

Throwback Thursday photographs ALWAYS have a story - In honor of everyone's good friend Julianne Kost, we picked a bottle of vodka called "Tall Blonde." We paid $350 for it, and 6-8 of us went into the cooler to make a toast. A week later, my buddy, Bob Rose, saw it in the liquor concession at Rochester Airport for $14!

Whether you share your throwbacks on your blog or enjoy privacy on your trip down Memory Lane, make it a habit on Thursdays to search for old photographs. You'll never be disappointed with their ability to throw you into the time machine.

What you'll find is a fun change from the work you need to get done. You'll also be reminded of the importance of photography and capturing memories. Even a couple of blurry grab-shots serve a purpose in the fun of looking back at those priceless moments in our lives.

PS A BIG thanks to whoever was sober enough to click the shutter on these!
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