Records were made to be...

On this day in 1948, the first long-playing phonograph records were introduced to the public at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Made of vinyl and designed for the new speed of 33-1/3 rpm, the records had been developed by Dr. Peter Goldmark of Columbia Records. The 12 inch record could play 23 minutes per side, compared to 4 minutes on 78 rpm records. The first LP featured violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

It took another decade or so for the first stereo records to appear.

Today, the first day of summer, the staff at Trout Fishing in Minnesota recommend that you dust off some of your LPs. You may play them conventionally, play them backwards to reveal hidden messages, play them at 45 rpm for a cheap laugh, sail them like Frisbees into the neighbor's yard, or just admire the cover art.

Here's another Brautigan verse to fit the theme.

33-1/3 Sized Lions

33-1/3 sized
lions are roaring at the black gates of Fame
with jaws that look like record company courtesans
     brushing their teeth
with would-be rock and roll stars
     in motel bathrooms
with a perfect view of hot car roofs
     in the just-signed-up
          afternoon.