Wow that's some helpful links, I never though someone would have made something like that. There's no API in the forums as far as I can see so I though it'd be impossible to create an automatic tool.
Vod's BPIP uses a passer that is logged in and reads the recent merits page. Piggy's one is using the weekly download file the forum makes available every Friday.
PS: Why do you have a star next to your "Posts Rank" and I don't? >.>
Because I'm in the top 1000 FWIW.
I think top 100 is 2 stars and top 10 is 3 stars.