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."

Comments

As an unemployed bugle player

[Local Loop]

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

[fm6]

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.

Shoe dryer

[MichaelSmith]

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.

Re:call the local junior high marching band

[jdhutchins]

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.

To be used in 2003?

[Moose,The]

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?

Sigh....

[rindeee]

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:laziness?

[Wildkat]

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?

[erlenic]

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.