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The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

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Posted

At first, I was going to judge Aardvark's stories through a typical analysis of structure, tone, etc… But I lasted until “Fearless” before the daunting task began haunting me in my sleep, and “Patience” finally threw me over the edge into temper tantrums. So, I decided that a more efficient system of rating would be needed if I wanted to last till my next birthday without completely losing it. After all, the thought of splitting a cake with a cross between Michael Jackson and Sisqo in a mental ward was not exactly appealing. So, I needed a system that was succinct. A system that was scientific. A system that used neat, random numbers. A system that threw in words like “parley,” just for effect. A system that inflated my ego through the mentioning of my name, yet was simultaneously simple enough to rip-off and market to those gullible enough to mistake it for an Almost Dragonic product. Enter A.R.S.E. The one and only system capable of matching the absurdity of Aardvark’s stories.

 

The following is an exercise in lunacy, which will occur over the course of several installments. Please keep your hands, arms, legs, tongues, tentacles, and insurance salesmen inside the vehicle at all times.

 

In chronological order:

 

"Maligned Perception"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Protagonist dies unexpectedly just before the end: 10 points

Protagonist shares his name with a byronic hero thought to have slept with his own sister: 0 points

Fate of the Queen’s crumpets not mentioned: -5 points

Sympathizes with the struggle of megalomaniacs: 20 points

Classy uses of antique revolvers, EvilLaughs, and splattered brain wallpaper: 10 points

Story includes witty one-liners before key character dies horribly: 30 points

Hopeful, upbeat ending for evil geniuses seeking doomsday devices everywhere: 10 points.

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 0 – 5 + 20 + 10 +30 + 10) divided by the number of times Aardvark has mocked Wyvern for his lack of funds = the rating.

 

"The Fun is All Gone"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Potagonist lives to see an endless looping cycle resulting from his continual commencement of the story at the end of the piece: -10 points

The notion that he will eventually hunger for Krispy Kream, thus urging the reader to invest in the product: 20 points

My use of the word “commencement” three lines above: irrelevant

Car chase scene: 10 points

Car chase scene involving paddy wagons, men in uniform, and beefy looking V8s: -30 points

Theme of writers block is dealt with, and overcome: 10 points

Little subconscious elf voices in the writers head turning the “block” into a rubix cube: 5 brownie points.

 

Overall: (15 + 10 – 10 + 20 + 10 – 30 + 10 + 5) multiplied by the square root of Aardvark’s money investment with Almost Dragonic = the rating.

 

 

"Accurate Explanations"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person dialogue through smashed people at a rave party discussing the significance of the letter E: 30 points

Repetition of the phrase “Umm…”: 5 points

Lawsuites filed by Madame Quixotic and other fortune tellers because of the stealing of their phrase “Umm…”: -10 points

Uses alliteration: 5 points

Uses exotic terms such as “necrogoons,” “necronerd,” “Zombi,” and “git”: 10 points

Fatalities continuously mentioned throughout: 20 points

Protagonist dismisses antagonist as a freak, yet is deluded enough to think that God will chit-chat with him over a cup of tea at the end: 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 30 + 5 – 10 + 5 +10 + 20 +10) minus the number of times Aardvark has beaten Wyvern over the head with a blunt object = the rating

 

 

"Partly Fact"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Set at a Mcdonalds drive through: - 80 points (they gave me soggy fries last time)

Thought of narrator posing as the Hamburgler: priceless

“3 Bells” advertisement: 100 points

Use of random, inappropriate grammar for street cred in order to aid in advertising “3 Bells” to the hip hop generation: 10 points

An antagonist drives a riced-up Civic, which is reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble at the end: 15 points

Story can’t decide if it’s action/drama, science fiction/fantasy, personal advice/social rant, or Final Fantasy VIII documentary/latest script for Beverley Hills 90210: -20 points

Narrator severely damages the readers feelings: 5 extra special points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 – 80 + 100 + 10 + 15 – 20 + 5) – X/2 where X is equal to the number of variables it takes to get Aardvark confused = the rating.

 

"Fearless"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Metaphor for urban setting as a jungle used: 20 points

No comparisons of police to hippopotamuses: -10 points

Flaring nostrils that remind me of almost dragonic relatives: -5 points

Street hoodlums with extensive knowledge of how to treat a lady like a “real man”: 0 points

Corrupt knowledge blamed on women’s lib: 20 points

Latex gloves used: 5 bonus points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 20 – 10 – 5 + 0 + 20 + 5) plus the number of times Aardvark has sabotaged Melba’s desk seat = the rating.

 

"Ultimate Power"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in an obsessive first person: 10 points

Antagonist is a puke-inducingly cute small child: -20 points

Uses omnimatopotence: 10 points

Use of a French word is corrected by the use of the word freedom (“Queuing for freedom”): 5 points

Leaves reader with a blazing hot, sickly feeling: 10 points

Soccer mom is left permanently scarred: 20 points

Different meanings attributed to the word “hotspot”: 5 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 – 20 + 10 + 5 + 10 + 20 + 5) times the number of hours that Aardvark has spent handing out Almost Dragonic product flyers = the rating.

 

"Patience"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Narrator that sounds like an announcer from an educational history video: 0 points

The dollar is considered holy: 50 points

Use of a French subtitle with no corrections: -5 points

Money is abused: 20 points

Zombis not included amongst the rankings of the undead: -5 points

Species of booby-trapped spider coin is not mentioned, much to the dismay of collectors: - 10 points

Lethal sneezes used without a single “Gesundheit”: 5 points

Chronoassassin drives the latest in dematerializing vehicle technology: 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 0 + 50 –5 + 20 – 5 –10 + 5 + 10) to the power of the number of Almost Dragonic savings bonds Aardvark holds = the rating.

 

"Controlled environment"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Protagonist character is see-through: -5 points

A scientific notation for the cause of riots is mentioned: 20 points

The fat men are the ones that get it in the end: 10 points

Notion that the fat men may have become fat from eating Krispy Kream: 5 points

High-action jet flight scene: 10 points

Encourages the uses of humans as guinea pigs: 10 points

Marketability of spin-off, photocopied overlord brain dolls: high

 

Overall: (15 + 10 – 5 + 20 + 10 + 5 + 10 + 10) added to the price of spin-off, photocopied overlord brain dolls should they be marketed under Almost Dragonic inc. = the rating.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

"The Porkening"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told somewhere inbetween pizza chefs and swine spirits: 10 points

The swine spirits are not a form of liquor, but a ghost: -5 points

Lack of disgusting, swine spirit liquor: 15 points

Suggestion that narrator may have been under the influence of swine spirit liquor when writing this: 20 points

The specific, capitalized sound of the thumb breaking, which also suggests substance abuse: 5 points

Double-meaning used for the word "Dough": 5 points

Use of the phrase "umm..." without fortune tellers noticing: 10 points

Scares people from buying bacon pizza, thus leaving the reader with an urge for fresh, hot donuts from Krispy Kreme: 100 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 - 5 + 15 + 20 + 5 + 5 + 10 + 100) minus the number of times Aardvark has spiked Wyvern's drink with swine spirits = the rating.

 

"Sentinel"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person to the fifth dimension: 10 points

Narrated in the present in the future: 10 points

The Endless reaches its end: 15 points

Dominant captain of the Endless comes from a rural family of hillbillies: 10 points

The captain still acts like a sissy when he notices the derelict powering up: -5 points

A single derelict outpowered a dreaded naught running about endlessly: 15 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 15 + 10 - 5 + 15) added to the profits that come about from the major motion picture version™ = the rating.

 

"Secrecy"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Protagonist dies unexpectedly at the end: 10 points

Achmed jumps up and down in place, only to have a jump rope dropped to him afterwards: 5 points

Senseitive wordplay: 5 points

Black arts are discriminated against: -10 points

The protagonist has the nickname Viz, and The Viz Never Sleeps: 15 points

Achmed loses time by pondering the importance of timing: 10 points

Mentions Gauntlets, but is in fact more similar to Prince of Persia: 2 lawsuites

Antagonist wins - Fatality: 50 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 5 - 10 + 15 + 10 + 50) times the amount of preemptive bribe money Aardvark has chosen to incorporate at this point = the rating.

 

"Duel"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

The inebriated duelist exits victorious: 20 points

Psychic blows used a medium for shutting up noisy, annoying dogs: 10 points

Traditional drug laws prohibiting duelists to "take hits" are incorporated: -5 points

The power of the "hits" are still felt by spectators miles away: 10 points

Mundane car alarms are set off: -5 points

The names of the duelists allude to the concept of Civil War, but fortunatly the black arts are not discriminated against: 5 points

A self explanatory dueling law that promotes destruction: 5 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 20 + 10 - 5 + 10 - 5 + 5 + 5) to the power of X where X is equal to the number of hours Wyvern is allowed to be the bookie for these duelists = the rating.

 

"Lynne"

Brutal and Direct: 15 points

Told in a framed narrative - third person from first person: 20 points

Emotional and evocative: 40 points

Avoids sentimentality while still being touching: 20 points

Gertrude-Stein-type long sentences: 0 points

Non-Gertrude-Stein-type writing: 10 points + 5 points for relief

Neato car blown to smithereens: 10 points if it was a Civic, -10 points if it was a Viper.

Sense of regret from narrator at the end while still leaving the reader with a warm, fuzzy feeling: 20 points

Lack of comedy in this particular response: hey... how the heck was I supposed to know that Aardvark writes sane stories as well?!

 

Overall: (15 + 20 + 40 + 20 + 0 + 10 + 5 +/- 10 + 20) minus the number of minutes Wyvern is scolded for making this commentary semi-serious = the rating.

 

"Suicide"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Irony of this small segment getting 14 responses while other Aardvark stories get 0-3: 14 points

Likelihood of this being attributed to attention spans: high

Leaves reader with a cold, sickly feeling: 15 points

Story convinces Gwaihir to summon gnomish pixie elves: 10 points

Story leads into a discussion about Board Policies: -80 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 14 + 15 + 10 -80) + I (Incomplete) = the rating.

 

"Exerpts"

Passive and direct: 10 points

Told in first person: 10 points

The Creator turns out to be a geek who uses terms like "infinitesimally" and "illtimings": 0 points

Excessive nerd talk is replaced with "yadda yadda": 20 points

Humankinds fate ultimately rests in your reading the logs: 20 points

Sleep-inducingly scientific: -20 points

Quietly rests inbetween "Sentinel" and "Colonisation": 5 points

Random reality rifts thrown in for effect: 5 bonus points

 

Overall: (10 + 10 + 0 + 20 + 20 - 20 + 5 + 5) plus the amount these planetologist logs go for on e-bay times the amount of profits that Wyvern gets for them = the rating.

 

"Background"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Djinn's incorporated without a single Jafar reference or so much as a peep from Robin Williams: 20 points

Protagonist lives to see another day: 5 points

Suleiman looks like a pirate at the end, but never kills a ninja: -10 points

Protagonist makes the Guiness Book of World Records™ for screams, his heart stopping before his vocal cords do: 20 points

"Nanotoknonnen-Os" not plugged as Suleiman's favorite cereal: -5 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 20 + 5 - 10 + 20 - 5) to the power of the number of corrupt wishes Wyvern gets granted = the rating.

Posted (edited)

Tales from the Aardvark

Orderly, informative, straight to the point: -5
Superior ratings system chosen: 25
Additional criteria added without obtaining legal permission: -10
Demonstrates actual knowledge of story content: 16
Rated an incomplete story that made it onto the board due to mindless error: 20
Gave it a bad rating: -100
Blamed it on responses: -100
Non-uniform result tally system: 50

Dared to ponder the notion that this thread was forgotten: -1500

 

Overall: (-5+20-10+16+20-100-100+50-1500) Log(Number of times Aardvark has signed an Almost Dragonic flashpaper contract with spontaneously combustible ink) = The Rating

Edited by Aardvark
  • 7 months later...
Posted

"Three point five"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told through a classroom dialogue: 10 points/-5 points if homework is assigned

Emma and Jonathan's predictions are predictable: 0 points

The notion that Emma and Jonathan's future will not be bright due to their predictability: 20 points

Antagonist tries to out-argue a puke-inducingly small child, but fails: -10 points

Alien death machines from stories like "Patience" referenced: 5 points

Leaves reader with the urge to grab the nearest blunt object and beat themselves over the head for not realizing the merits of 3.5 second clairvoyance earlier: -15 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10/- 5 + 0 + 20 -10 + 5 - 15) divided by the number of times Aardvark has assumed a thread is over and given it a bad review = the rating.

 

"Decision"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person by a demon: 15 points

Classy uses of antique revolvers, EvilSchemes, and ruptured stomach lining: 10 points

It is revealed that the Prince of Darkness has a "thing" for men in white coats: -5 points

Lucifer notes the freezing position of the victims abs: -5 points

The man finds that he's risked his life and health to save a purse full of money, thereby proving that he's taken a noble path: 20 points

Gunshots compared to noisy, annoying dog barks: 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 15 + 10 - 5 - 5 + 20 + 10) minus the amount currently owed for "Tales from the Aardvark" including interest = the rating.

 

"ultimatum"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Dignified "no risk profit" muggers, with weekly interval business plans and olde English dialect: 30 points

The lead mugger makes the Guiness Book of World Records™ for running time, and is listed only a page away from the bandit in "Background": 20 points

Action sequence involving three opposing parties, at different intervals: 5 points

Mugger carelessly drops his "bling bling" out of fear: 5 unrealistic points

Provides a continuation to "Duel," thereby showing signs of consistancy: -80 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 30 + 20 + 5 + 5 - 80) plus the amount of geld payed to Wyvern in the hopes of convincing him that consistancy is a good thing = the rating.

 

"Canticle"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Old Mother Hubbards secret identity revealed, but deadly curd experiments not mentioned: 0 points

Narrator puts the 3.5 second clairvoyance learned from other classes to use: 10 points

Deviation from singing results in the doubling of allowance money: 20 points

"Incy Wincy Spider" is called wimpy while "Happy Birthday" is thought to be angelic: -10 points

Sepultra shamelessly plugged: 5 bonus points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 0 + 10 + 20 - 10 + 5) added to the number of Sepultra albums sold through Almost Dragonic Promotions™ = the rating.

 

"Lanner"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Protaganist avoids l33t speak and whines in proper English: 10 points

Big ego contests involving riced up computers: -10 points

Poetic justice in the gaming death of Battlegrounds 2942: 10 points

Portable machete is not part of the narrators computer case rice: 30 points

Leaves reader with a cold, sticky feeling and no urge to drink cool, refreshing sodas available at the nearest Krispy Kream outlet: 0 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 - 10 + 10 + 30 + 0) multiplied by the amount of Almost Dragonic Brand Spyware™ installed on Aardvarks computer after reading this review = the rating.

 

"Red Light"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Narrator is a pinball-addicted, streetsmart nobody: 10 points

Narrator gains the respect of neighborhood kids through their care for money: 30 points

Protagonists extra money is wisely spent on chocolate, and evidence is cunningly destroyed: 10 points

A "Slightly-Greatly-Critically" large buildup involving the WestLakers: 5 NBA bonus points

Beautiful, Wyvern-like crimson red light is replaced with a boring, Kendricke-like proud white light: - 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 30 + 10 + 5 - 10) divided by the number of times Wyvern gets scolded for that last comment plus the number of times Wyvern gets praised for that last comment = the rating.

 

"If only"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Death is given severity levels: 10 points

Mrs. Feldman can work a communications matrix on her roof, but doesn't understand that her son is dead: 20 points

Failure to mention the more advanced and affordable methods of immortality offered by Galgo corporations: -10 points

Blue gelatin is incorporated in the revitalization process, proving that J-E-L-L-O has come a long way: 5 points

Intense description of the scrubbing of every inch of David's body: -5 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 20 - 10 + 5 - 5) to the power of the number of revitilization engines Aardvark allows Wyvern to sponsor = the rating.

 

"Interview"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told through film-fanatic interview dialogue: 15 points

Multiple connotations for how many Blood Slaughterfest "grossed": 5 points

French alternative title "Le Titty Grabass" is not corrected by the word "freedom," but is described as "yadda yadda yadda": 5 points

3 word one-liners and special effects overrule artistic vision: 10 points

Internet piracy is responsible for the death of family cinema: 20 points

Laughter comes in "Canned," "Light," and "Real" flavors: 30 points

 

Overall: (15 + 15 + 5 + 5 + 10 + 20 + 30) minus the square root of the cost of licensing Blood Slaughterfest in video game format = the rating.

 

Note: points attributed to Aardvark stories will remain in the low range until "Tales from the Aardvark" recieves a non-negative score. ;-)

  • 4 months later...
Posted

"Chance"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Overload of numbers that leaves the reader with the urge to grab the nearest blunt object and beat self over the head: -20 points

AD&D dice terminology used in life or death situations: 5 bonus points

The triple six roll minus the five rounds in the gun still adds up to a score of thirteen: 13 points

The sixteen years of the protagonists life divided by the square root of the fourty seven times he's attempted suicide multiplied by the fifteen millimeters of the dice is equal to an overload of numbers that leaves the reader with the urge to grab the nearest blunt object and beat self over the head: -20 points

"Any Given Moment" plug: 100 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 - 20 + 5 + 13 - 20 + 100) plus the number of Russian Roulette gambling missions Aardvark is willing to run for Wyvern = the rating.

 

"Paper's Edge"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Story itself is typed out, and contains no signature in blood: -10 points/-15 points for vampires.

Mighty pens are referred to as "broken," "empty," and "useless.": -20 points

The novel makes the cut in the end: 15 points

Potential publisher aura is used to an unknown effect: 5 points

Gives new meaning to the phrase "bloody flawless": 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 - 10/15 - 20 + 15 + 5 + 10) times the number of Almost Dragonic Brand Biros™ manufactured by Aardvark = the rating.

 

"Broken"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Protagonist enjoys sniffing fried silicon: 10 points

Complex terminology such "solarplexis" and "plastiskin" used alongside the name "Ng": 5 points

Notion that logic circuits weren't the only thing powerdrained by the Female Subjects comments: 5 points

Protagonist insists upon "well oiled hinges" in place of a sternum: -10 points

Latex gloves used: 5 bonus points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 5 - 10 + 5) divided by the cost of developing marketable upgrades for male robots to impress female subjects = the rating.

 

"Machine"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in zee third person: 10 points

Antagonist has a monocle: 10 points

Antagonist speaks with a thick slavic accent: 10 points

Antagonist is plotting for world domination: 0 points

Chalkboard ultimately proves to be more deadly than Titanus: -5 points

Titanus still proves to be an excellent piece of ceiling self-adjustment equipment: 10 points

Mad Scientist Monthly contains no centerfolds: 0 points

Chalkboard dies unexpectadly just before the end, by Titanus' gauge: 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 10 - 0 - 5 + 10 + 0 + 10) added to the number of Wyvern cameos with monacles, no hair, plans for world domination and a thick slavic accent that rip this off = the rating.

 

"Opera"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Protagonist lives to see another day: 5 points

Gunbattle that starts off with parties pulling out bigger and bigger guns: 5 points

Magazines falling from the protagonists pistols contain no centerfolds: 0 points

Inspiration for the Hollywood spin-off B-movie Anaconda vs. Python clearly shown: 10 points

Ute destroyed/rendered inoperateable: 5 points (thanks Valdar)

Protagonist performs cat rolls while carrying six firearms in front of an amateur gunslinger just for show: 10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 0 + 10 + 5 + 10) minus the number of Almost Dragonic Brand Transport Vehicles that have been blown to smithereens in Aardvark-inspired Hollywood gun duels = the rating

 

"Subjection"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person on principle: 10 points

Protagonists denial of principles other than not tolerating cheaters: - 10 points

Cheating incorporated into this A.R.S.E review: several gales of hardy laughter.

Protagonist denies the connection of assassins to terrorism while exhibiting religious fanaticism: 10 points

Protagonist lives to see another day: 5 points

Third world children referred to as "paid": - 10 points

Distinctive, male chauvinistic undertone: 15 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 - 10 + 10 + 5 -10 + 15) divided by any amount that Wyvern wants since he's already revealed that he's cheating = the rating.

 

"Fronteer"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Expenses of space equipment are never overlooked: 20 points

Scientist lifespans are measured in hours: 10 points

Scientist vital signs make protagonist puke: 5 points

Biased views against rival corporations and gun laws: -10 points

Expensive space equipment mistakes nuclear missile for a spacecraft: 0 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 20 + 10 + 5 - 10 + 0) plus the quotient of the probability of this space battle originating from "Sentinel" = the rating.

 

"Escape"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Protagonist takes a job as a flying superhero, but must still secure loans: 15 points

Lack of excuse for interrupting Michael's dream of two chicks: -10 points

Notion that Michael will still treat himself to scrambled eggs in the morning: 10 points

Anti-smoking campaign insinuated in the corrolation between Joseph's smoking and suicidal thoughts: 15 points

Full measurements of Sarah Hart not given: -10 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 15 - 10 + 10 + 15 - 10) times the number of Almost Dragonic Brand Add Campaigns™ Aardvark would be willing to advertise advertising advertisements for = the rating.

  • 1 year later...
Posted

"Within"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in your favorite first person: 10 points

Leaves reader with urge to grab the nearest blunt object and beat self over the head: -15

Stephen sets the standard so low that even "mediocrity" is misspelled: 10 points

Dog is used to judge the access of good and evil, rather than a lizard: -10 points

Notion that narrator will install a virus on the disk with his degree from Hackmore Tech: 20 points

"Dumbarses" used to indicate Stephen's proper grasp of English: 5 points, dumazz

Notion that the women turned to goo that Stephen dumped will return in the form of 7-11 Cheesy Hot Pockets, avenging themselves through the miracle of gastric intestinal infection: 77 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 - 15 + 10 - 10 + 20 + 5 + 77) divided by the number of times that Aardvark has threatened Wyvern with an open-ended fire hydrant = the rating.

 

"Plunge"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Protagonist lives to see another day: 5 points

Narrator's heart not only thumps, but pauses to count at every fiver: 5 points

Outstretched valley the color of crisp, freshly-printed dollar bills: 10 points

Narrator strikes gay bird pose to not look like a frightened animal: 10 points

Narrator considers being "eaten" by a "wild scavenger" once he "hits rock bottom:" -10 points

He goes home redfaced, and is compared to sweatshop workers: -15 points

Moral that a medkit full of morphine can cure any fear, even a wussy one like acrophobia: 20 points

Tamaranis' bungee cord comment: better left out after points #6-#8

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 10 + 10 - 10 - 15 + 20) added to the number of days that Aardvark feigns to not realize how old these stories are = the rating.

 

"Colonisation"

Brutal and jumbled together: 15 points

Told in third milennium person: 15 points

Thread forms a Mighty Pen Alpha betting SOUP: 10 poster points

Wyvern post pertaining to bloodsucking patriots included: 100 points

World War Three makes way for battlefield of posts: 10 points

Vishnu uses probe as diaper, while Izanagi goes senile: 10 points points

90% of probe brains managed by engineer/scientist squares: -10 points

Story posts organized in a manner that amuses Aardvark: -50 points

Thread resulted in Aardvark moving up in rank: -50 points

Aardvark posing as Uncle Sam: 0 points, but damn appropriate.

 

Overall: (15 + 15 + 10 + 100 + 10 + 10 - 10 - 50 - 50 - 0) to the infinitive of the number of pennites that posted in this thread and later were driven to clobber Aardvark with a quill = the rating.

 

"Jack"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Scientists gain 'net cred by jumping machines: 10 points

Jack views humans as a series of ones, as well as zeroes like the narrator: 20 points

Story includes consistent witty parley between all parties: 20 points

Witty parley is all in indecipherable internet code: -20 points

Mental Wetware Error leads to story being posted: 10 points

Jack's avatar similar to that of Aardvark: 0 eery points

Narrator learns Jack over the course of the story: 20 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 10 + 20 + 20 - 20 + 10 + 0 + 20) times the number of universal popup advertisements Jack can endow Almost Dragonic Inc. with = the rating.

 

"Taxi"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in first person: 10 points

Protagonist drives a riced-up Holden: -5 points

Still burns rubber with triple-diget endorsements: 25 points

Scientific discussion of cab life expectancy made fun through funkay hip hop slang: 10 points

Notion that cab chase scene may have involved a police helicopter for no good reason: 5 points

Dodgy russian accent, but no mention of how "Taxi drives you" in Soviet Russia: -5 points

Waving arms and yelling "TAXI" stops Falcon, but not his Reply Raven: 0 points

"Belongs in Reader's Digest" critique: made irrelevent by belief that it may be a true narrative later in commentary.

 

Overall: (15 + 10 - 5 + 25 + 10 + 5 - 5 + 0) minus the number of times that Aardvark has expected Wyvern to not worry about collecting his change = the rating.

 

"Nobility"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Antagonist dies and is a puke-inducingly cute small child without homicidal tendencies: 100 points

Motorbike not only used as badass assassin decor: -20 points

Protagonist locks all the bathrooms in the plant, but unlocks the "rector floor": -20 points

Powerplant security doubling as janitorial staff for cost efficiency: 10 points

Protagonist's assassination technique is almost as over-the-top as his "Terminator" wardbrobe: 10 points

Chopper referenced, but not used in a random chase scene: -5 points

Ayshela's request for Almost Dragonic Brand Unglue™ (now available in three tasteless flavors!) never followed up: -30 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 100 - 20 - 20 + 10 + 10 - 5 - 30) divided by the number of times that Aardvark has ratted on Almost Dragonic Brand Ungl(ue)ow Sticks™ for having remenants of nuclear waste = the rating.

 

"Runner"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in third person: 10 points

Text reads like a guidebook detailing etiquette for the proper paranoid delusionist: 30 points

Protagonist "owns" a Charger, Viper, Monaro, F250, Moke, Bug, and a Mightyboy. No riced-up Honda Civics in sight, thankfully: 0 points

Guidebook for the proper hobo suggested through newspaper blanket, but never followed up: -10 points

Lack of keen eyes and careful ears in the reader implicit in the narrator's statements: 10 points

Notion that invisible men may be reading this: 20 points

Suggestion tha- IGNORE THIS REVIEW

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 30 + 0 - 10 + 10 + 20 +) NOTHING TO SEE HERE

 

"Collectors"

Brutal and direct: 15 points

Told in ebriated third person: 10 points

Cats given preference to squirrels in "Name That Roadkill": 5 points

Story includes three sided babble that doesn't involve the law somewhere: 20 points

Narrative fufills the initial expectations for a hobo guidebook set in "Runner": 10 points

Protagonist drinks canned beer beverages while driving, rather than hard liquor: -10 points

Protagonists fail to collect a freeway entrance sign in their booze run: -5 points

Story leaves the reader with a warm, sickly feeling: 10 points

Failure to include Bruteweiser™ plug: -5 points

 

Overall: (15 + 10 + 5 + 20 + 10 - 10 - 5 + 10 -5) multiplied by the number of Bruteweisers Aardvark can typically consume in one sitting = the rating.

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