I have a rubber penguin (Tux) on the top of my screen. Is it ok? Or does it need to be a duck?

Well, if I need a debugging aid, I force my intern into his debugging suit ... ;-)

But yes, a penguin works fine, as does a teddy bear or a random co-worker that happens to pass by. Unless you need to debug Microsoft problems. In that case, having a large and reliable supply of sacrificial chicken, candles and pentagram chalk can sometimes help.

Alexander