Only in America: Patenting the 'ultimate' snowman
A New York man patents his method for building an "ultimate" snowman — and more in our collection of strange revelations about the nation

Ignacio Marc Asperas of Melville, N.Y., has successfully patented his very-detailed snowman-making technique (see diagram, left). Asperas' 25-page application, entitled "Apparatus for Facilitating the Construction of a Snow Man/Woman," offers, among other things, advice on how to create a snowman's spherical body while avoiding unevenness that could result in a "big caboose." Asperas, who insists this isn't a joke, apparently has no plans to sue children who infringe on his new patent.
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