A Shortage of Snoopys

Actually there's no shortage of beagles, but there is a shortage of buglers for military funerals. The semi-amusing part is of course:

Taps is usually delivered digitally, using either a compact disc player placed near the grave or, increasingly since 2003, a Pentagon-approved, push-button "ceremonial bugle" that anyone can mimic playing by raising it to their lips.

The armed forces have about 500 musicians who perform taps, but many of them have been dispatched to Iraq and Afghanistan. About 3,800 civilian volunteers in the four-year-old Bugles Across America group also fill in wherever they can.

I hate to be cynical about all this (anymore so), but I mean, what's next? The self-folding flag? How about "The 21 Gun Salute" as performed by Grammy Award (tm) winning artist Beyonce?