(It’s Christmas. I’ve gotten my dad a CD collection of some of his favourite radio programs from the 40s and 50s. I return to the family room after helping my mom in the kitchen to find my dad on his hands and knees in front of the stereo cabinet, trying to figure out how to play his present.)

Dad: *plaintively* “Help.”

Me: *kneels down* “Start by opening the tray.”

(I push the button and it pops out. Note that it’s a 5-disc changer.)

Dad: “So, I put one in each slot?”

Me: “Yup! There you go. Just make sure you load them in order.”

Dad: “But if I put them all in at once, won’t it only play one side before going to the next one? Does it tell you when to flip it over?”

Me: “Erm, dad. CDs aren’t like records. They only have one side.”

Dad: “Really? Isn’t that a waste of space?”