News of the Weird: Watermelons are exploding in the heat

Add exploding watermelons to the list of oddities related to the summer's unusual weather. People told NBC New York that they've left melons on their counter overnight and got up the next morning to find exploded melon all over the kitchen. Keith Schneider, a professor in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida, said the explosions are "probably due to the heat. The fruit, if slightly damaged, can begin fermenting. If enough fermentation occurs, which produces gas, enough internal pressure may build up for the watermelon to crack or pop." Put that melon in the refrigerator before and after cutting it, experts advise.

United Airlines pilot Kenneth Henderson Jones, 63, told police that he had "hit his breaking point" on Aug. 2 after he took an ax to an employee parking lot gate at Denver International Airport, Denver7-TV reported. Video of the incident showed Jones hacking at the gate until it broke. He was confronted by a security guard, who called police. Jones told them he was tired of having to wait in line to exit the lot. He was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief, and United said he was "removed from the schedule."

When it comes to porch pirates, no one can match Robin Swanger of Arnco, Ga. He was charged with felony theft after he allegedly stole an entire porch from a neighbor's yard, Fox News reported on Aug. 22. The 8-by-10-foot wooden porch was left on the property when the house was moved away, but investigators said Swanger ignored "no trespassing" signs and removed the "very well-constructed" structure. "Some people may shrug their shoulders and say it's not a big deal," said county investigator Chris Stapler. But "you can't just go and take stuff off someone's property."

Dog ownership in Iran is frowned upon in many circles (dogs are considered "unclean"), but authorities took their biases to another level after a couple transferred the title to their apartment to their dog, Chester. The pooch "signed" with an ink-covered paw. Yahoo News reported that on Aug. 19 that Iranian police "arrested the head of the real estate agency and shuttered the firm," according to deputy prosecutor general Reza Tabar. The sale "seeks to normalize the violation of the society's moral values" and "has no legal basis."

Thomas Howie of Madison Heights, Mich., has become "increasingly depressed" and "paranoid about food served by others" since a March incident at a Detroit Olive Garden restaurant, the Detroit News reported. Howie filed a lawsuit on Aug. 18 against the restaurant, claiming that he ate a spoonful of minestrone soup with a foreign object in it. When he felt a "stab," he spit out the offending object, which appeared to be the foot of a rat with fur and claws. Olive Garden isn't buying it: "We have no reason to believe there is any validity to this claim," a representative said. Howie had a tetanus shot to treat the cut in his mouth and took the foot to police.