Tux Has a Nameless Green Martian Relative

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Tux Has a Nameless Green Martian Relative

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Thursday October 28, 1999 @10:05AM from the why-stop-with-dominating-just-one-world? dept.

Steve VanDevender writes "The Planetary Society sponsored the Mars Microphone on the Mars Polar Lander, and chose a green penguin as its mascot. They're having a contest to name it. I'd be tempted to name it 'Xut' but that's too easy." Any other suggestions? (Not that "Xut" isn't a great one!)

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They should definitely name it... by kuro5hin · 1999-10-28 05:56 · Score: 3

Fist of the Firemonkey

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Morning gray ignites a twisted mass of colors shapes and sounds

--
There is no K5 cabal.
I am not the real rusty.
Why, Marvin, of course! by Bob(TM) · 1999-10-28 06:07 · Score: 2

Isn't that lovely, humm?

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The little guy just ain't getting it, is he?
NASA needs a reminder by mreece · 1999-10-28 06:09 · Score: 4

How about naming him "Metric"? Without a reminder, NASA might just send him crashing into the planet...

--
Matt Reece
Now I know why "Tux" looks familiar by slickwillie · 1999-10-28 05:25 · Score: 2

Bears a strong resemblance to "The Face" on Mars.
Here's the address by blogan · 1999-10-28 05:29 · Score: 3

tps@planetary.org

You must include the words Name the Penguin Contest in the subject line.

Perhaps you were too hasty in trying to get a first post to read the page. But, on the page, the link shows up as tps.planetary.org, but it's a link to email tps@planetary.org
Makes you wonder... by Devout+Capitalist · 1999-10-28 05:27 · Score: 5

"We hope you are comfortable. We intercepted your probe bound for your neighboring planet, used it to understand your physiology and even gastronomical preferences. Please pull up a block of ice and share a kippered herring." -- Early dialog, First Contact, 2009

--
Profit motivates invention.
Why not Xut? by X-Nc · 1999-10-28 05:28 · Score: 2

Hell, why not Xut? I sent it in. If we /.'ed them with Xut email votes I bet it'd get the win. It'd be fun for Tux to have a distant cousin.

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-- If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place.
Um.. by Kitsune+Sushi · 1999-10-28 05:28 · Score: 3

Any other suggestions? (Not that "Xut" isn't a great one!)

Unfortunately that seems like it would sound a little too much like ``Slut''.. Imagine the confusion that could ensue. =P

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~ Kish
Re:Oh, for crying out loud! by iCEBaLM · 1999-10-28 05:34 · Score: 2

Why can't a supposedly futurist organization like The Planetary Society catch up the the 1990's and accept email submissions?

"You may submit your entry by email to tps.planetary.org. You must include the words Name
the Penguin Contest in the subject line."

Hope that helped...
-- iCEBaLM
The Martian Chronicles. by Pyr · 1999-10-28 05:34 · Score: 3

I say name him Ray.

In honor of Ray Bradbury.

Alternatley, they could name him after one of the characters in the book.
How would one pronounce "Xut" anyway? by elfbabe · 1999-10-28 05:34 · Score: 2

Zut?
Exut?
Iksut?
With one of those bushmen-type clicks?

I can just see NASA guys going on nation television and making fools of themselves trying to pronounce "Xut".

*thinks for a moment*

All right, that does it. I'm voting for Xut.

Marissa
The Rules of Names by Wayfarer · 1999-10-28 06:28 · Score: 2
Ye gods, they should've put Tux through all the astronaut training before launching him. 8)

Aside from that, one way of producing a name is as follows:
1. Take a nice, Mars-sounding name.
2. If it ends with a u, add an x.
3. If it doesn't end with a u, chop the end off at a convenient consonant, and add a ux.
4. If it sounds pitiful, or is more than two syllables, try chopping a bit earlier. (The Rule of Artistic License.)
Example: Barsoom
Applying rule 3 gets us Barsoomux. However, this violates both qualifiers of rule 4--it's pitiful, and more than two syllables. Thus, we chop a bit earlier, and get Barsux.

Alternatively, one can aim for a two-syllable word ending in ux that has some deeper meaning than the obvious.

Examples: bigbux, marsux, dumfux

I'm sure the /. community can think of plenty more.
--
-W-

Is it all journey, or is there landfall?
--Ellison & van Vogt, 'The Human Operators'
Some permutations by fcw · 1999-10-28 06:34 · Score: 3

vertux (vert == French for green)

odex (short for odexut, which is tuxedo backwards)

amber (between red (planet) and green (penguin))

anorak, khaki, burberry (types of green jacket)

magenta (what you add to green to get white)

beryl, emerald, holly, jade, olive, kildare, lincoln (types of green)

Do we know what the gender of the green penguin is, by the way?
So *that's* where Pokey went ... by ian+stevens · 1999-10-28 05:43 · Score: 2

Pokey: LOOK NUTTY, I HAVE A GREEN SKIN TINT!!!
Mr. Nutty: SO YOU DO, OLD BOY!!
Pokey: I AM GOING TO THE MOON!!!!!!
Mr. Nutty: BUT POKEY, THE MOON IS MADE OF GREEN CHEESE!
Pokey: I SEE ... THEN I SHALL GO TO MARS AND HARVEST THE KETCHUP FIELDS!!
Mr. Nutty: I'LL DRINK TO THAT!
Pokey: YES!
HOORAY!!!!!!

--
ian
1. Re:So *that's* where Pokey went ... by kuro5hin · 1999-10-28 05:53 · Score: 2
  
  You forgot Pokey's key line:
  Pokey: THIS MOON-CHEESE WILL MAKE ME VERY RICH! VERY RICH INDEED!
  
  ----
  Morning gray ignites a twisted mass of colors shapes and sounds
  
  --
  There is no K5 cabal.
  I am not the real rusty.
Re:My name wont work by Surak · 1999-10-28 07:26 · Score: 2

Sunil? Would that be Linus backwards?

Maybe Xunil...no, still Arabic sounding...

How about Gates? I'll bet Billion-dollar Billy's gotta enough $$$ to push it through. :)

--
My journal has hot /. gossip.
Conspiracy by exalted · 1999-10-28 05:53 · Score: 5

Don't you all see. It's all a conspiracy. 1. Colors Green Martian. Green /. Green is on the upper left quadrant on the Windows Logo. Tux is bluish, blue is on the lower left. What colors remain? Red and Yellow: Communist colors 2. Scheduled Landing Date is 12/3/1999 In dreams, numbers appear upside down. 666 13 51 666 - satan 13 - kernel 2.2.(13) 51 - area 51 Mars, Satan, Aliens, Computers, Area 51 Can it be more obvious that there is some conspiracy going on. Lets name it Sux