As has been covered in a previous discourse, the naming of things is important. As with my toilet rolls that are, in fact pink, despite being called ‘lilac’ on the packaging, when something has the wrong name it can be misleading and confusing.

Think how awful it is then, when something has no name at all!

Many people have complimented me on the penguin who is sitting, looking down on us all, from the top right of Bright Meadow’s header. Ever since Spooky created him for me back in the summer of 2005, I have been looking for a way to display him that is worthy of his evilness and cuteness, and with the move to WordPress, I was able to give him a design he wouldn’t be ashamed of. Along with my cartoon head, he is probably the most visually identifiable part of the site.

It has come to my attention, however, that the penguin doesn’t have a name.

This is a state of affairs that just can’t be allowed to continue. So, without further ado, I am proposing a competition.

Name That Penguin ^*1*

The rules:
Everyone has a week (the closing date will be the 2nd of February) to propose a name for the penguin.
You can propose a maximum of three names.
Only names posted in the comments field of this post will be accepted.
At the end of the submission round, there will then be a further week where you can vote for the best name from the shortlist I will compile.
The winning name will thenceforth be the name for the Bright Meadow Penguin.

Some other points:
I wish I could give prizes, but budgetary constraints (i.e., my current job-less-ness) preclude my normal generous nature. My undying love and affection will have to be enough for you.
Winning will, of course, entitle the winner to Blog Minion status if they do not already have it.
I am loath to rank my Minions, so existing Minions will just have to make do with the happy glow of knowing that they’ve done something worthwhile to make the world a better place. For after all, what is a named penguin, if not a happy penguin? And happy penguins are less likely to view you as victims in their next plot.
Don’t just limit yourself to traditional penguin names like “Pengu” - I am a great fan of unusual names, hence plants called Sebastian and George, a dog called Jason, a cat called Twigglet, and fish called Chips, Cassandra, Humph, Arthur, Shanks, and Tilley. I’m looking for a name that captures the essential identity of the Bright Meadow Penguin. Go wild!

Now, I know there’s at least 15 of you reading Bright Meadow, so let’s see if we can get at least fifteen names. Take your time, you’ve got a week, and I’ll sticky this post in the sidebar so it doesn’t get drowned beneath a horde of later posts.
Just in case you’re reading this in an RSS reader and have forgotten what the Bright Meadow Penguin looks like, here is what he looks like:

Let the games begin!

Endnotes:
^*1*Now I have the theme tune from “Dastadly and Mutley” going round in my head. Stop that pigeon… stop that pigeon… stop that pigeon now!^Back