Gadgets for the Lazy

theodp writes "The Pentagon has found the perfect way to demonstrate it's purely the thought that counts - 700 bugle emulators which sit in real bugles and play 'Taps' at military funerals. The Ceremonial Bugle is just one item in Wired's collection of Gadgets for the Lazy."

What I am waiting for

are diapers with an IP address, so I can log in to them. Not for my kid, for me.

Slashdot for the lazy...

No need to read the article! The entire article is in the summary!

The editor's are getting the idea now!

Bugles

Didn't read TFA, so I don't know if it mentions this, but the Taps-playing device is not for the lazy, but rather because there is a shortage of actual trumpet players for military funerals. A lot of burials are having to resort to using CD players; at least with these gadgets some of the ceremony is retained.

I'm not sure it's that easy.

I played trumpet. The bugle is pretty much the same thing, minus the valves. You are thus restricted to a limited set of notes, and must choose your notes by mouth alone.

The restriction isn't anything like "one octave". It's more like "two notes per octave". To get enough notes to make a decent tune out of that, you'll need some extreme range. Building that range can take a long time. Mouth strength doesn't arrive in a matter of days.

There would also be something wrong if the bugle player hadn't gone through basic training. He wouldn't be a real soldier without that gas chamber.

Re:I'm not sure it's that easy.

Both of these are true. That's why there are people like me, Marine Musicians. Somebody's got to do it, eh? I've been playing for about 10 years, and I'm on the short end. Most of the Marines I work with have been playing for 15 years or more. There's more to it than just the notes, or just the 'soldering'. There's a balance between the two that only seems to come from experience.

Re:I'm not sure it's that easy.

I played trumpet. The bugle is pretty much the same thing, minus the valves.

I play signaling trumpet, a four foot long natural trumpet. The difference between a bugle and a trumpet is that the bugle is conical in section, having developed from a true horn (like, from the head of a cow) though the post horn (that round thing you see in period movies or hanging from the walls of "theme" restaurants). The closest modern orchestral relative of the bugle is the cornet, which is a valved version of the post horn, as is the, ummmm, horn ("French" Horn to you).

The restriction isn't anything like "one octave". It's more like "two notes per octave".

Well, three actually. The fundamental/root, fourth and sixth. Add the octave and you've got four notes to play with in a one octave range. Buy playing "crossed" this gives a low note below root and a major chord a fourth up from the fundamental. American military trumpets are pitched in G and if you go to a keyboard and pick out Taps you'll find that consists simply of a G below C root and a C chord played in third inversion.

Most bugle calls stick to a one octave range, but the practical range of the instrument is two octaves, although some can push it a bit further. More power to them.

KFG

Re:I'm sure it's that easy.

I am not a trumpet player....

This is /. so don't you mean IANATP? :-)

As an unemployed bugle player

As an unemployed bugle player, I find this disappointing. :)

Seriously though, trumpet is one of the most common instruments taught in High School, and bugles are super easy to play (for a brass player). I'm positive they could find people to do this, they just don't care enough to even look.

I'd rather have a bad bugle player at a funeral of a friend, then some stupid souless gadget..

Re:As an unemployed bugle player

I suspect this is part of a cultural shift in the military. Traditionally, ordinary soldiers have had a lot of time on their hands, because their jobs mostly consisted of practicing their shooting and waiting for the next war. That's why military life is so full of complicated rituals — it used to be difficult to keep all the grunts busy. Bugle playing is not only a good adjunct to rituals, it gives the bugle players something to do. Of course, bugles used to be valuable battlefield communication tools, but that hasn't been the case for almost a century.

As time goes by, though, soldiers are less and less ignorant cannon fodder and more and more skilled technicians. Learning all the stuff they need to learn is pretty time consuming. So it no longer makes sense for the miltary to maintain time-wasting rituals, like potato peeling and bugle classes.

Re:They don't need to force anybody to play it.

Four or five people wouldn't be enough to cover a few states, much less the whole country. What most people don't realize is that the military is required to perform every funeral they are asked to do, for all active duty and veterans. I only served four years, but I am eligible for honors. I think you have to be dishonorable discharged to lose that right. When I was on the honor guard at Scott AFB, we did over 2000 funerals in 2000. And it just keeps increasing as more funeral homes find out it's required.

As I (and others) have said before here, this is a hell of a lot better than the CD player we used to use.

Re:As an unemployed bugle player

Right now there are about 1750 military funerals per day across the country. In 2008 it will peak at 2100 per day (if the stats are correct). Most state National Guard HQ's run a Funeral Honors program. Volunteers work 7-10 funerals a day and get a stipend of 50-60$ per day to cover expenses, most of the guys that I know that perform the duty lose money by the time they pay for gas, food, dry cleaning uniforms etc. Severice organizations (VFW, AL etc) also provide the service with unpaid volunteers. Finding any kind of brass players for that many funerals is very difficult, we're not talking small numbers here.

When Bush passes...

...I wonder if they'll get an orchestra to play the theme to the Empirial March or just pop the sound track in the nearest car stereo?

Tom Caudron
http://tom.digitalelite.com/politics.html [digitalelite.com]

P.S. Attended a military funeral a couple of years ago. They played taps on a tape player. This device is a step UP not down from that experience. :-\

National Anthem.

"The Pentagon has found the perfect way to demonstrate it's purely the thought that counts - 700 bugle emulators which sit in real bugles and play 'Taps' at military funerals. The Ceremonial Bugle is just one item in Wired's collection of Gadgets for the Lazy."

How about a Gadget that you can insert into singers that plays the national anthem correctly at sports events?

Shoe dryer

TFA:

It's not clear how else you would dry your shoes, but this smacks of laziness.

Personally I think not riding your bike to work because you might get your shoes wet in the rain smacks of laziness but maybe thats just me.

To be used in 2003?

From the article: "Due to a shortage of actual bugle players, the Pentagon had already ordered 700 of these to be used at military funerals in 2003." To be used in 2003? Are we a bit late on this story?

uh oh

I was thinking to myself "how lazy can people be?" when I realized that I was actively using one of the devices in the article:

http://www.theemptyroom.com/ST_14.jpg [theemptyroom.com]

: /

Bad layout

I hate to prove their point, but i find it annoying to have to scroll down under the text to read about the device. I wish there was a gadget to do it for me.

AIBO?

Since when does an AIBO dog count as a gadget for the lazy?

Gadget for the stinking rich more like.

Bugles Across America

Because of the shortage of available buglers, a group was formed to help aid the military in properly honoring our veterans. If you need their services, or wish to volunteer, go to the website [buglesacrossamerica.org].

RIAA sues the Pentagon!

Damned bugle emulator was playing a pirated mp3 of "Taps".

I guess I'm lazy

I grant that some of the gadgets are for the lazy, but what about the following:
Motor lounger - isn't relaxing the point of going to the pool?
Shoe mops - put on feet, walk, mop or pick up mop, walk, mop. Doesn't seem that lazy to me
Shoe dryer - how else am I supposed to dry my shoes? Blow on them, place them in the dryer/sun, light a fire?
Juiceator - how is using this any less lazy than drinking from the carton?
Electric fly swatterer - You still gotta hit flies with it, this any no Venus Fly Trap.

Sigh....

I have to chime in as this is something near to my heart. In fact, a Navy buddy of mine taught himself to play the Bugle a few years back for exactly this reason. Anyway, I begin my list.

1. To the smart ass that stated that they "can't be looking too hard if they can't find a trumpet player"...it's a bugle, not a trumpet. While I play neither, it is my understanding that a trumpeter cannot simply pick up a bugle and play it (especially well enough to do funeral detail).

2. Funeral details are NOT fun. After a while, it gets a little depressing. It is constant (not on weekends for 5 minutes as someone said). You stand endlessly in either blazing sun or freezing cold. You're in full dress (the most uncomfortable uniform ever designed). If you've never been to a national cemetary, then visit. There are funerals going on all day, every day, never ending. Families are limited to about 15 minutes at the graveside to make room/time for those processions scheduled behind them. Blah blah blah.

3. There is a shortage because the bugle is not a common instrument in band these days. Few people who join the military do so to play an instrument, and fewer still that do want to play funerals. Most do a rotation on funeral honors, but more often than not, the task falls to Reservists and retirees.

It's sad, but at least having someone stand there and hold a bugle while appearing to play it is better (to the grieving families) than having someone hit play on a boom box. Unless there are plans to have compulsory bugle duty and compulsory funeral detail, I think this is about the best solution that can be reached.

Re:Sigh....

While I play neither, it is my understanding that a trumpeter cannot simply pick up a bugle and play it (especially well enough to do funeral detail).

Yes, it is obvious you play neither. I played trombone and taught myself some trumpet/french horn/baritone back in the day. One brass instrument is faily similar to another once you learn slide positions/valve combinations and train your lips to fit the different sizes of the mouthpieces. I can play you taps on the trombone, trumpet, bugle, flugelhorn, baritone, tuba, french horn, etc. Taps is the chopsticks of brass instruments.

Shoe mops

A friend recently refinished his wooden floors. When it came time to put the final polish and wax on, he bought several dozen terrycloth socks in various sizes and invited every one over for a skateing party. If you have spills to clean up, get a dog or a cat.

Great, but it ruins...

That's great, but it ruins the whole funeral when the guy pushes the "Revellie" (morning wake-up) button by mistake.

Old news, but...

This information (about mechanical bugles) has been out there for a while, so this is NOT current news.

My father is a WWII vet, and for his birthday two years ago, I (an old brass player) bought a repro 1860 bugle and pledged to play Taps at his funeral. This promise was made specifically in view of the lack of military buglists.

He loved it. And, if I can keep from crying on that inevitable day, and can firm up the embouchour, I'll be proud to lay him to rest.

Holton isn't a King

I think one guy had it right in here -- bugles/trumpets go cold when not played (all instruments do). The temperature difference can kill the quality of sound the player produces, and by the time his instrument warms up properly, he's already done playing. Also note that if it is too hot outside, the instrument can also go out of tune. Moreover, if the mouthpiece is cold and the chops (lips and mouth) aren't prepared, the bugler can literally tear his lips. It's painful, and if he's playing all day, the sound will degrade tremendously no matter what temperature the instrument is. Last point I want to make is that trumpets and bugles, though very similar in what they are, are not the same. Just because bugles lack valves does not make trumpets a multi-note playing equivalent. I played a King valve trombone, and it felt nothing like my Holton Revelation slide trombone. Although it's technically the same instrument, the two are different musically. That's what seperates a bugle from a trumpet (or cornet, even!). True musicians know what I mean.

Bugles Across America

Okay, trumpet/bugle/cornet/etc players. Put your instrument where your mouth is and volunteer.

Bugles Across America [buglesacrossamerica.org] needs volunteers.

What I need

What I need is a Productivity Emulator.

Rascal?

How was the rascal overlooked??? http://www.rascalscooters.com/ [rascalscooters.com]

Most of these items have useful functions

Wired has a long and annoying history of making kneejerk lists that reflect an ignorance of the world around them, particularly the fact that there are a lot of people with special needs.

In this article they are clearly targeting, as forms of social criticism against people who are lazy:

1. The Motor Lounger: something for genuine lazy tards

2. Ice-cream turner: A gag gift

3. Computer in bed: Something that any geek who has ever been confined to a bed would drool over (but I guess we don't care about invalids).

4. The bird 2.0: Another gag gift (I mean, did someone with no sense of humor write this humorous article about lazy people gadgets)

5. Body dryer: Again, I guess we have never heard of invalids. Because of this article I am going to buy one of these for my grandmother who cannot lift her arm over her head to dry her back or hair (I guess ignorance and narrow minded bigotry does yield some edible fruit).

6. Bugle emulator: Since the whole thread is about this one I'm going to leave it alone

7. Shoe mops: I guess this was a candidate. I'd have put the Chopsticks fan http://www.mindbreakers.com/mb/img/invention7.jpg [mindbreakers.com] in its place, but I don't think the writer was trying too hard to find things that are genuinely about saving effort.

8. The Disc Pod: Well, I can't think of a useful purpose for this one

9. Lazy drinker: As a former caterer I can tell you that this would save thousands and thousands of dollars over a year. This is clearly not aimed at the home user.

10. Sushi machine: Same story. This is for people who have to feed lots of people regularly for cheap. Not for yuppies trying to live an urban lifestyle in their kitchen.

11. iPod bed: Yup. This is a gadget for the spoiled and lazy.

12. AIBO dog: I am curious what it says about the editor of the column that he thought the AIBO dog qualified for this article. It's a toy, dumbass.

13. Wireless cooking thermometer: I guess the author likes leaning into a blazing hot oven trying to read a mechanical gadget that's not accurate and only slightly cheaper than this item. I mean why not dispense with tools altogether and just eat it raw. Really, is this seriously supposed to save time somehow? I guess we could all go back to mechanical watches too since digital is just soooo lazy, natch the fact that they are more reliable, last longer, can be read in the dark and cost a fraction of the price.

14. Shoe dryer: Do people get their shoes wet often enough to need this? If they do then, yes, I think it would be genuinely useful. Last tme I got my shoes wet I put them by the radiator and they took three days to dry in winter.

15. Eyeglasses washer: Uh, I don't wear glasses, but I'm guessing that if I ran a shop that sold them that I'd have one of these in the back.

16. Electric fly swatter: Yeah, this is about the dumbest thing I've seen too.

17. Roomba: Well, I think it's neat, but I have to admit it qualifies for the article.

18. Hot dog toaster, okay, it's stupid, but jeez it would be fun to use the first day you have it before it clutters a spot on the top shelf for the next eight years till the kids are old enough to use it themselves. Hell, I used to wrap a dog up in a paper towel and put it in the microwave. Tasted just like the ball park (seats) and it was easier to use than this gadget looks.

19. How exactly is this easier than pouring it from the carton? Have you ever squeezed a whole orange? I think this falls into the dumb category along with the Subway chin rest http://www.mindbreakers.com/mb/img/invention1.jpg [mindbreakers.com], but for the lazy? I don't get it.

Maybe I'm just lacking in a sense of humor, but I think the the guys who put this article together were either slammed up against a deadline or just enjoyed any excuse to be mean. Like th

Do you know what you are talking about?

I'm going to preface this post by saying that I am active duty USAF currently serving in Iraq. Also I am a member of the Base Honor Guard here at my deployed location, and at my home station.

Most of you have no idea what it means to render Military Funeral Honors. To you, this is joke about the difficulty of playing Taps. To us, this is about expressing our Nation's gratitude to our fallen comrades for their years of faithful service. We take this duty very seriously, and execute it in the most professional manner possible.

The current mantra for the USAF is to do more with less. That is precisely what the bugle emulator allows us to do; render the most professional ceremony we can with the limited resources we have. The families of the deceased are always grateful that we are there, and can see the pride we take in honoring their loved one.

These are my personal opinions, and in no way reflect those of the USAF. If you would like to know the official opinion of the USAF on this subject contact the Public Affairs office at any Air Force Base.

Kinetic Watch Winder

My friend was reading a cigar catalog today. As if that wasn't silly enough, there was an ad inside for a "kinetic watch winder". It is a device "for people who own multiple kinetic watches". You put your spare watches on a little wheel and it spins them for you. Oh the irony.

I don't think the eyeglasses washer is frivolous

Hnad-washing plastic lenses (which I have a good reason for using) is more delicate work than you might expect, and it has to be done hundreds of times over the lifetime of the glasses. Anything that could keep them clean *and prevent scratches* sounds like a great idea.

Yes, I have an anti-scratch coating. It does help a little.

Electric fly squatter

I have an electric fly squatter at home. A friend of mine always buys crap like on the Wired page, but this squatter is really very handy. Most insects are not immediately killed by it, but they are very easily immobilized so you can kill them at ease and you don't get smudges on the walls.

I wonder when this friend of mine will buy the eyelash washer for his girlfriend.

Automatic sushi machine?

Heck, that's been done [goodeatsfanpage.com].

"Our teapot is electrical ...

... and we aren't that sincere". So once joked a famous (ex-)Soviet comedian.

Yes, it is the thought that counts, and your spouse is no less sincere for using the gas and/or electrical kitchen appliances (with timers and thermal sensors, no less!) instead of the open wood-burning fire to cook a dinner for you.

We've used this with -zero- complaints...

I'm active Navy, stationed in Cape Canaveral, Florida. We're a small command (30 people or so)and one of our duties is to provide a military presence to any veteran funeral in the area that asks us too. Depending on the wishes for the family, we escort the casket, we fold the flag, present it to the widow (toughest job), and play taps. Our "area" is from Palm Beach to Daytona, and as far west as Orlando. We do several funerals a week, often two a day.

As many others have pointed out, we use these (we have three of them)not because of laziness, but because no one has the skill set required to play the bugle -well-. The actual device is a small player that fits exactly inside the bell of a real bugle, so it resonates and has a far nicer tone than a tape recorder, plus looks much better. We have had numerous compliments on our "bugle player", and even those that could tell the difference feel that it is much better than a tape recorder.

I only attended one funeral where the bugle was specifically -not- requested... it was for a WWII Merchant Marine vet who was a member of a jazz band, and his buddies not only plyed taps, but did little improvisational riffs throughout hte service.

Testimony from an auto-bugle user.

Having been in the Marines, I had the oppurtunity to play the auto-bugle at the funerals of several veterans. It actually put me in quite an awkward situation on several occassions. It's actually quite comical. There I am, someone with zero musical ability, standing in front of an entire funeral, cheeks bulging in and out, pretending to play the bugle. After my "performance" I had several people come up to me (including the teary-eyed widow of the deceased) telling me that I was the best bugle player they ever heard and that my rendition of Taps was the most heartfelt and sincere they had ever witnessed. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it was all just a show, but based on the audience's reaction I should have been awarded an Oscar and a Grammy!

Re:call the local junior high marching band

Chopsticks is hard you insensitive clod!

Re:Bugle emulators

Not nearly as tacky as someone who can't play the bugle.

Re:call the local junior high marching band

As a trumpet player, who has played taps many times, I can tell you taps is *not* the easiest thing to play. While you may be able to get a freshman to hack it out, it requires quite a bit of work to actually sound good. You're also playing very exposed- if you make a mistake, you can't cover it up. And lastly, you're usually playing cold- you haven't played a note for the past half-hour or more. My trumpet teacher thinks taps is the *hardest* thing to play on trumpet, not the easiest.

Re:call the local junior high marching band

Right! They could wake the dead! Waaaait a minute...

Re:call the local junior high marching band

Even my father had a trumpet (and I think a bugle too) he could play, and he was a pianist (no offense to buglers out there). But honestly, traditions (like playing instruments) are being lost and more and more music lovers would rather download MP3s, remix or synthesize everything. I have a music major friend who can hardly play a thing to save his life and have been working towards his love of music for years... http://www.funnytimes.com/archives/files/20060301. htm [funnytimes.com]

Re:laziness?

Yes, but how many of them are interested in joining the military?

Re:laziness?

I'm a trumpet player who is graduating a week from today. So I can tell you, if they can't find a real trumpet player, they can't be trying too hard. The studio at my college is about 40 strong, and even most community colleges have studios. I don't think this is a matter of laziness. I'm thinking they just don't want to pay a real musician for the service.

How many of those trumpet players are willing to enlist in the military? Drive a couple hours to random cemetaries in the area to play for 5 minutes every weekend? It's not exactly like it's a job that's very appealing.

Re:Speaking of bugle/brass music overplaying...

You guys make wreaths out of reefer there?

Re:bugle != trumpet

I'm guessing you aren't a trumpet player, either. The "button things" are valves. When pressed in various combinations, the length of the pipe varies, allowing more variation in pitch. But even without pressing any of the valves, you can play a variety of notes.

I played trombone in high school, and "Taps" is easily played without any valving (or slide, in the case of the trombone) changes. If the mouthpieces are the same, a bugle is just a simple trumpet.

I read somewhere that prior to the invention of the trumpet valves, similar versatility would be achieved by owning multiple bugles or having multiple bugle players, each with a different bugle. Different length of tubing = different notes you can play.

It's my guess that there isn't a shortage of competent players in the country (any high school with a band program should have several) but a shortage of MILITARY bugle players. You don't send the 16-year-old kid with long hair to play taps at the funeral; you want the adult, with short hair and military uniform. This device lets any military-type person play taps.

Re:bugle != trumpet

Actually, a bugle is the equivalent of a trumpet with all the buttons locked in the 'up' position. A bugle is therefore limited to a subset of the notes that a trumpet can play, and all bugle songs are made up of that subset. A trumpet player can play a song on the bugle -- especially a simple one like 'taps' -- without any training beyond maybe a five-minute practice session.

Re:bugle != trumpet

A bugle is exactly the same as a trumpet, it just has less notes it can play. When a trumpeter needs to play much higher or much lower notes, they make a subtle adjustment with their mouth to shift the register they're playing in. The notes accessible to a bugle are all fundamentals or harmonics of the size of the bugle; which is why all bugle songs have the same notes in them. Any brass instrument player could easily play a bugle, ignoring the smaller mouthpiece.

Re:bugle != trumpet

the trumpet and the bugle are very closely related. a trumpeter has the skills required to play bugle, however they're not necesarrily well-honed. A buglist changes pitch by changing the shape of his lips etc, a trumpter does this to some extent already. I'd say it's more like a bass guitar player to an upright bass player, some of the skills are there, but there's more to learn.

Re:laziness?

I'm a trumpet player who is graduating a week from today. So I can tell you, if they can't find a real trumpet player, they can't be trying too hard.

How about a trumpet player who is willing to be sent to Iraq?

Re:bugle != trumpet

Taps is played without valves on a trumpet. Any trumpet player can play Taps on a bugle. That's why everyone is talking about trumpet players. Because they know more than you, not less.

Re:laziness?

Screw all of you. WW2 vets have been dieing at a rate of 1000 a day up until 2004. It dropped because there were just not as many left to die. No problem though because the 2400 killed in Iraq and 200+ in Afghanistan have picked up some of the slack and the Vietnam vets are just starting to die at significant rates. We take great pains to ensure the family never sees the "device" and Taps is "played" perfectly every time - no missed notes, no errors. This is not like playing at your local talent show. These are very emotional events even for those of us on funeral detail who likely know nothing of the person being buried. It is a solemn tradition we are all proud to participate in. Every time I do one I remind myself that some day someone will do the same for me. Amazon, Google and every other company in the world wont give a dam about you the day after you quit or retire. We take care of our own no mater how long they served. After burying one of my good friends killed in Iraq this year I will never hear Taps without tearing up.

Re:laziness?

I know how you feel about the emotion. I never had to bury someone I knew, but after doing over 100 funerals, I too cannot hear taps without tearing up.

Re:call the local junior high marching band

"for fucks sake. taps on the bugle is the easiest thing to play. its like chopsticks on the piano. all is lost."

All is lost? I could see that reaction if you were talking about the ice cream cone twirler...

Re:bugle != trumpet

Now I may be a lowly woodwind player (I play mostly out of the clarinet family) but you're not quite right. Most of today's brass instruments have some kind of variable length tubing; most obvious is the trombone, where a slide changes the length of the instrument, but the valves in trumpets, tubas and euphoniums open up extra sections of tubing, effectively lengthening the instrument. This is one way for brass players to change pitch. However, there are only three or four valves on most instruments, which would give at most eight distinct pitches.

But for each valve combination a brass player can actually produce many different notes; the player can play any pitch whose wavelength is a multiple of the instrument's length. The result is that for each fingering the player can produce a harmonic series: a fundamental note (usually very low), one octave above it, up a fifth, up a fourth, up a major third, up a minor third, and so on (these are approximate; or, one might more accurately say, modern even-tempered tuning systems produce approximations of the perfect harmonic intervals).

If you listen to bugle music you'll notice that only the notes of one harmonic series are used; in "Taps", for example, overtones 2, 3, 4 and 5 are used. If a trumpet player played "Taps" his or her fingers would not move; the trumpet player could, with some practice to adjust to the instrument, play exactly the same way on the bugle.

Re:bugle != trumpet

And it would appear that I was quite badly wrong.

Funeral Watch

Years ago ( 1992-1996 ) I served with The Commandant's Own, United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps. I'd like to address two things:

Funerals

When we talk about a bugle playing taps we are talking about a "simple funeral" ( a full honors funeral consists of a complete band ) and we are also typically talking about a field music playing taps on a Bb Trumpet because the U.S. Military only has 2 D&B corps left. One is The Commandant's Own in Washington, DC and the other is the U.S. Naval Academy Drum & Bugle Corps. I'm not sure how the USNA D&B works but the USMC D&B has a Duty Music of the Guard and an on-call rotation of upper-voice ( Soprano & Mellophone players ) musicians for funerals. Lower voices ( baritone and contra-bass baritone players ) do not do funerals for what should be an obvious reason. The means there are only several dozen musicans available for funerals and most of them are not available due to other operational committments of the organization. That said, they perform at hundreds of simple funerals per year in the Washington, DC area. The families of the fallen servicemen who receive these last honors are truely the lucky ones. I've witnessed many funerals and they are truely emotiona.

Thoroughout the rest of the nation simple honors funerals are perfomed by musicians from various field bands of the U.S. Military, national guard bands and volunteers from Bugles across America. They do their best to meet the mission but the sad fact is that WWII veterens are dying at a rate of couple thousand per day. Many unfortunatly, do not get proper last honors.

Bugles:

I've seen many posts in this thread with misconceptions of what a bugle is. In the military context the bugles are 2 valved ( pistons ) instruments that are pitched in G. The first valve lowers the pitch by 2 semitones and the 2nd valve lowers the pitch by a semitone. This provides for a full chromatic scale in the instruments middle range. Some notes in the lower registers are missing. Music is written to the treble clef and arranged in SATB format. Typically it's Upper and Lower Lead, 2nd and 3rd Soprano. Upper/Lower Melophones. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baritones ( 8vb ) and Contrabass Baritone ( 15vb ).

Re:Bugler shortage

Yeah, we need to get those WWII vets to stop dying!

Re:laziness?

So get off your ass and volunteer to go play the bugle for them! Bring your friends, it would do you all some good.

I volunteered for, and served on this detail for 5 years while I was in the USAF.

Why should they pay you? Didn't they prepay that bill with their service?