It's November -  Ready to fall back an hour?  It's that time of the year when most Canadians and Americans are gearing up for the dreaded clock-switching ritual: turning our clocks back by one hour. If you live in Saskatchewan, the Yukon, parts of Northern British Columbia, Hawaii, and Arizona, switching to Daylight Saving Time (DTS) does not apply to you. Lucky people! No messed up circadian rhythms, groggy mornings, or missed appointments for you.  Anyway, in this issue, you'll find: 

• Roy's experience as a grandparent
• Nick's adventures in the sports arena
• Brain Busters
• Recommendations ... and so much more! 

There is something magical about looking up and staring at a full moon. In September, we had the Harvest Moon; in October, we experienced the spooky Hunter's Moon.  We're going to experience the Full Beaver Moon on November 27, 2023, and the Cold Moon towards the end of  December.  Have you ever wondered why the same moon has different names?  Where did these names come from? 

I hate to get all sappy, but something happened to me last year.  I became a grandparent. I have to say that I don't know whether words can describe the feelings and emotions of the day I first saw her amazing face. I think I felt the same way the first time I held my son minutes after he was born. 

This little baby girl has stolen my heart with one smile and, of course, I think she is the most amazing and beautiful baby I have ever seen. I may be slightly biased. 

Now, an entire year has passed and I can't believe the changes in this little preemie.  She is beginning to walk and - much like her grandfather - she is talking and squawking all the time.  I look at her and see my son when he was that small.  Not to get religious, but if you don't believe in God or a higher power, a situation like this can really change your mind. 

Life is an amazing thing and I know that somewhere inside that perfect little princess is a small piece of her grandfather.  I am so glad she looks like her mom and dad because I would make a very ugly woman.   I can only hope to live a long life so that I can see all of the incredible things she will accomplish.  If she's anything like her dad, my wife, and me, I know that we will all be so proud of her.  

Okay ... enough of the sappy serious stuff. 

Back by popular demand - Each of the images below represents a well-known saying. Can you guess what that saying is just by looking at the image?  If you're stuck, scroll down for the answers. 

Did you know that a basic principle of decorating also applies to business suits?  To achieve a balanced look, fashionistas often suggest that men follow this formula:    

• 60% of the suit's color in the slacks and jacket.
• 30% of the color in the shirt.
• 10% of the color in the tie. 

As you probably know by now, fifty percent of the Totally Useless Information duo lives in Canada.  As the seasons change, Nick often gets roped into outdoor chores such as raking the leaves, shoveling the snow, and worst of all, mowing the lawn. Here's a tidbit of useless information for you - there's nothing Nick hates more than having to mow the lawn. 

Given his ruminations with the task, we think we might have found a natural alternative for him. Enter lambmowers.com - a company based out of Fairfax, Virginia that offers the services of a shepherd and Babydoll Southdown sheep at $295 / weekend sheep-over.  The service ensures that lawns are both fertilized and trimmed.

We don't know if the company can get the sheep across the border, but we're betting that many husbands might flock to this landscaping option.    

At first, it was difficult to believe that this type of service actually existed. Rest assured, we're not pulling the wool over your eyes. 

Above:  Nick at the Rogers Centre with Darrin Jackson and Len Kasper, radio announcers for the Chicago White Sox. 

I have always loved baseball, basketball, and hockey.  So, when the opportunity for a side hustle landed in my lap more than 20 years ago which combined those games and radio (my other lifelong passion), I jumped on it faster than a train-hopping hobo.  

What is this job-made-in-heaven?  I provide radio technical services for announcers visiting the Mecca of Sports - the City of Toronto.  One of the fantastic things about this job is that I get to kibitz with some of the most knowledgeable and entertaining radio broadcasters from across North America either before or after the games. A shout-out to many of the amazing broadcasters whom I've worked with - Darrin Jackson, Len Kasper, Steve Albert, Dave O'Brien, Will Flemming, Jiggs McDonald, and the late Ed Farmer to name a few.

The job has also given me the chance to watch some amazing sports over the years.  Looking back now, I can hardly believe that I was at one of the last games at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and at the first game at the Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena).  I've also witnessed countless playoff disappointments, nail-biting shootouts, and celebratory moments.

Sometimes, I would even wind up on television, especially during the Toronto Raptor games. The broadcast tables are literally just a few feet from the basketball court. As the cameras followed the play and panned across, I could often be seen at the table with my headset on. When the New York Knicks were in town, I would call up my dad, who lived in upstate New York, to tell him to watch out for my bald head.  He always did.  And, after the game was over, I could count on his telephone call to tell me that he saw me and to tell me how "tremendous" some of the players were.   

A special thanks to Paul Gatt, my friend and colleague at Newstalk 1010, for introducing me to the opportunity and keeping me on staff at Gatt Broadcasting Services. 

Here are some news stories, websites, and facts that we collected for this month, but didn't make the cut for the show:   

• The CIA has a podcast. 
• Looking for a human skull or bone box? Go here. 
• Australian woman sleeps with 300 people in a year
• Check out the finalists for the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 
• Female frogs fake their own death to avoid unwanted male interaction, study finds

Thomas from Hoboken, New Jersey writes: 

Dear Nick and Roy, I am pleased with what I hear every week from you guys. You are consistently useless - like clockwork. I was at the doctor's office recently and as the doctor was listening to my lungs with his stethoscope, I wondered: who invented the stethoscope? 

Response:  Thanks for your question, Thomas. It was a French physician named Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec who invented the stethoscope in 1816.  He invented it because he was not comfortable placing his ear directly onto a woman's chest to listen to her heart.  He observed that a rolled piece of paper placed between the individual's chest and his ear could amplify heart sounds without requiring physical contact. 

1. stars in your eyes; 2. forgive and forget; 3. keep your ear to the ground; 4. pick your brain; 5. at the crack of dawn; 6. shoot the breeze

Thanks for reading. 

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