The challenge was "What can you do with this sentence."
Dr. Sharon Shafter, an expert in the fields of biotechnology, education, and culture, thrilled when she learned she'd been named Ambassador to the Kingdom of Tarpenklien.

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Not finding such a country on any map or even on the internet, Sharon suspected this might be a joke of some kind. She immediately asked for and was granted a few minutes of President Bush's time in the oval office.

"Mr. President, you weren't serious about the Ambassadorship to The Kingdom of Tarpenklien were you?"

"Of course I was serious, Sharon. Surely you don't think I would play jokes on the daughter of the man who owns the largest waste disposal plant in Texas do you. Your daddy gave my campaign more'n six million dollars and I don't forget favors like that."

"But, Mr. President, nobody I know has ever heard of Tarpenklien."

"Honey, you are pronouning the name of that country kinda funny. Here, let me spell it for ya." He takes a piece of paper and writes the word "F R A N C E.

Sharon stared at the word, then looked back at the President. "Sir, you just spelled France."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" he announced proudly. "And they say I didn't learn nothing back at them schools poppy sent me to."

"You're making me the Ambassador to France?"

"Yep, ain't that what I said when I called you yesterday?"

"No, actually you said Tarpenklien."

"Tapenklien, France, whatever. You know I have trouble with words with more than one syllable in 'em."

"Ah.......sir. France only has one syllable."

"Right, that's what I just said. You want the job or not?"

Sharon balled her hands into fists and rubbed her eyes with her knuckles for a full minute.

"Thank you, sir. I accept the assignment. I guess my college French will come in handy after all."

"They speak French in Tarpenklien?" the President asked, obviously surprised. "Tarpenklien?"

"There you go again, pronouncing the word all funny like."

Torn between screaming and crying, Sharon finally said "Mr. President, could I have a minute with the Vice President?"

"I dunno, Sharon. He's pretty busy, ya know. What with runnin' the country and all, he don't have a lot of time like I do."

After a few more minutes of pleading, G.W. put through a call to the Vice President. "Hey, Dick. I hate to bother you, but I got the daughter of a big contributor in the old oval and she's got a question fer ya." He hands the phone to Sharon and goes back to his game of Ping Pong on the office computer.

"Sir, this is Sharon Shafter. Do you know anything about my getting an ambassadorship?"

"Sure do, Sharon. You're our new ambassador to Ethopia." Ethopia?"

"Yep, it's a hot spot right now, and we need your cultural expertise over there."

"Thank you, sir." she said and passed the phone back to the President.

"Thank you, Mr. President." she said as she turned to leave.

"No prob, Sharon. Hey! Do ya know how to play dungeons and dragons? I got the afternoon free and........................"

Sharon stopped at the secretary's desk on the way out. "You wouldn't happen to know what language they speak in France...........I mean Ethopia, would you?"

It turned out the secretary DID know, so the day wasn't a total loss..