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Dove World Outreach Center 'executes' the Quran.

Terry Jones, the Florida evangelical pastor who threatened to hold a Quran burning last Sept. 11 only to back down in the face of international outrage, finally went ahead and burned one.

And now there’s a 2.2-million-dollar price on his head.

Jones appointed himself “judge” and presided over a trial hearing evidence and testimony against Islam’s holy book. A “jury” found the book guilty of crimes against humanity; promoting terrorist acts; raping, torturing and killing people “whose only crime was not being of the Islamic faith.” Also, its treatment of women was found lacking.

Interestingly, lethal injection and electrocution, the two forms of capital punishment in Florida, were not offered to the convicted holy book. Instead, an online Facebook poll picked the sentence from these choices – burning, shredding, drowning or firing squad. Burning won.

Sentence was carried out by soaking the convicted in kerosene, placing it a metal tray and igniting it with a barbecue lighter. Thirty people witnessed the execution.

Jones’ kangaroo court stunt was obviously aimed at provoking a response, but the Council on American-Islamic Relations didn’t take the bait.

“Terry Jones had his 15 minutes of fame and we’re not going to help him get another few minutes,” said Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.

Unfortunately, Pakistan did.

Pakistani Islamists respond to the Florida Quran burning with their own U.S. flag and pastor effigy barbecue.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the desecration of the Quran during his address to a joint sitting of parliament. The country’s Foreign Office in Islamabad called it a “despicable act.”

Pakistanis are already angry at the United States over the release last week of an American CIA employee who was arrested after he shot and killed two men who he says were trying to rob him.

Pakistan’s Jamaat-ud-Dawah, a banned Islamic organization and suspected terrorist group, announced a reward of 10 crore rupees (about $2.2 million) for anyone who kills the preacher.

Jones is probably pleased that at least the terrorists are taking him seriously.

US pastor supervises Quran burning, sparks outrage in Pak (Times of India)

Koran burned after Fla. church ‘trial’ (CBS News)

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Is lower Fairfield County one of the “drunkest” metropolitan areas in America?

The website Mainstreet.com has ranked U.S. cities according to their admitted rates of binge drinking in a 2009 Centers for Disease Control survey and the Stamford-Bridgeport metro area comes in at number 7 — just under Milwaukee, the beer capital of America.

Places like Fargo, N.D. and Bozeman, Mont. dominate the top of the list, which makes a little more sense than Connecticut, where our entertainment options are slightly more diverse.

Given our puritan roots and a legislature that can’t manage to ease the state’s blue laws limiting alcohol sales on Sundays, do we deserve this dubious distinction?

MainStreet.com:

As one of the wealthiest states in the country, people in Connecticut may be able to afford a few extra drinks now and then, but that doesn’t mean they should. The residents of Stamford had a wake-up call earlier this year when it was discovered that a group of high school freshmen were found to be binge drinking, leading to at least once case of alcohol poisoning.

Heavy Drinkers: 7.2% of the population

Binge Drinkers: 21.5% of the population

(read more)

MainStreet’s full list:

1. Hilo, Hawaii

2. Kapaa, Hawaii

3. Fargo, N.D.

4. Butte-Silver Bow, Mont.

5. Bozeman, Mont.

6. Milwaukee, Wisc.

7. Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn.

8. Hilton Head Island, S.C.

9. San Francisco, Calif.

10. Wilmington, N.C.

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If you were ever curious about Mike Tyson’s opinion on the hit iPad app, Angry Birds, this is the video you’ve been waiting for.

The former boxer and bird lover expresses his displeasure for the game in a video promoting his cable television show about pigeon racing on Animal Planet (wait, what?) apparently he doesn’t like it.

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A day after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Cappie Pondexter, shooting guard and noted theologian of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, tweeted that the disaster was divine payback:

“What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country!” and “They did pearl harbor so u can’t expect anything less.”

Pondexter later apologized, saying “I didn’t realize that my words could be interpreted in the manner which they were,” implying that there’s another interpretation that everyone missed.

Pondexter could take a few pointers from Glenn Beck on how to couch religious wackery in vague statements that almost sound reasonable.

Speaking on his radio show Monday, Beck said the earthquake/tsunami was a “message from God.” Just a message, mind you, not punishment for transgressions.

“I’m not saying God is, you know, causing earthquakes – well, I’m not not saying that either,” said Beck, covering all the bases.

“But I’ll tell you this … There’s a message being sent. And that is, ‘Hey you know that stuff we’re doing? Not really working out real well. Maybe we should stop doing some of it. I’m just saying.”

Cappie Pondexter is sorry about her insensitive tweets

“The answer is, buckle up!” Beck says. “Because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

So the message from God is wear your seat belt?

“Make sure you keep your arms and legs arm inside the car at all times because things are going to get bumpy.”

Oh, and also follow the Ten Commandments … “because the things we are doing really suck, and they’re not getting better.”

Got that people? Stop doing things that suck or God is going to keep sending messages via plate tectonics.