Moo cows from the Masai

This is a few days late but I just read about it.. http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,52984,00.html

Apparently a Masai tribe in Kenya just found out about the 9/11 attacks, and as a gesture of sympathy donated 14 cows, which is their most sacred possession.

However, the embassy official who received them for the U.S. decided it would be too expensive to ship them overseas, and instead will sell them in a local market and buy some Masai jewelry to be sent over and displayed in a memorial somewhere.

This has upset a few New Yorkers, who think they should send the actual cows over. I tend to agree.. it seems kinda like an insult to tell them it'd be too much trouble to accept their precious gift.

(This NY Times article explains the story better, but you have to register)

Thanks for the cows.

It IS a nice gesture, but I also see the logistics difficulty and financial situation.

Now, if someone were willing to donate the cost of shipping them back to the States, that would be cool.

What if they let those cows roam free in New York?

"A Masai cow is tying up traffic at 34th Street near 6th Avenue...we have another one on the Throgs Neck..."

:)

The Bronx Zoo or the Central Park Zoo might be appropriate.

No...no...the thought of seeing 14 cows run rampant in a city of 8 million people is much more amusing. :)

Cows in a zoo? Jewelry on display?

Both are completly useless!! Just sell the cows and donate the money to the Red Cross.

We don't want your useless cows ... give us American dollars!

I don't know why people don't like Americans.

Any of the 3 would be useful:

--The cows could make lots of milk and steaks for hungry Americans.

--The jewelry (which I'm sure is beautiful) could go on a tour (a la the Vatican tour a few years ago), with the admissions money going to the September 11th Fund. Later, it could be part of an exhibit at either the Smithsonian, MoMA, or a museum that I suspect might be built in honor of 9/11.

--The money, of course, is good as well.

Originally posted by sycamore
Any of the 3 would be useful:

--The cows could make lots of milk and steaks for hungry Americans.

Yeah, but with the money you just used to take 3 cows to America, you could have bought tons of steak and milk.

--The jewelry (which I'm sure is beautiful) could go on a tour (a la the Vatican tour a few years ago), with the admissions money going to the September 11th Fund. Later, it could be part of an exhibit at either the Smithsonian, MoMA, or a museum that I suspect might be built in honor of 9/11.

How much jewelry could you possibly buy for the cost of 3 cows? Surely you could net more money by investing it in the stock market.

--The money, of course, is good as well.

Money is all that matters. Sweet, glorious money! Muahahah!

Look...I said useful. I didn't say practical. :)

Originally posted by juju
Surely you could net more money by investing it in the stock market.

So long as you don't put it in the NASDAQ. ;)

Originally posted by juju

Surely you could net more money by investing it in the stock market.

Is it so much of a bull (or cow for that matter) market anymore? You'd be better off leaving them in the livestock market instead.
Also, I doubt 14 cows would feed +8 million people, though some of them could get a few nice coats and belts instead of burgers and meatloaf.