Totally Useless VIP Newsletter12

December 2024

A super-happy Sunday to you, friend! It's December 1st. Knock, knock! Who's there? Holly. Holly who? Holly-days are here again! Yeah, we know ... we toss around a lot of useless corny jokes (sometimes too many), but it’s humbling to know that you set aside a few minutes - whether it’s in bed, on the subway, or at work - to read things you really don't need to know. Appreciate you all! We wish you a month filled with good energy and hearty laughter.

Here's what else we've got for you:

➡️ Amusing Planet
➡️ 2nd Contest Winner
➡️ Word on the Street ... and so much more!

TOGETHER WITH

Tom's Fine Clothing

Brand name men's wear at below retail prices in Toronto. Quality & affordability will suit your style.

Holiday Specials

An Origin Story: the lone buttonhole

In the early 20th century, men would wear their dress hats with a small elastic cord with a button on the end. This button on a string was used to fasten to their lapel so that in windy conditions they wouldn’t lose their hat.

Read the Rest of the Story

SPOTLIGHT

Should I sit or stand?

'Tis the season for attending holiday concerts, theatrical performances, ballets and festive productions. It's also the season for awkward moments. For example, what if a performance is just ... "meh ...", is a standing ovation optional?

Listen to Nick and Roy

AMUSING PLANET

Who invented the snow globe?

Love 'em. Gotta have 'em. But, don't know what to do with 'em.

Watch the Video

Whack a Chestnut lately?

So much for chestnuts roasting over an open fire ... in the U.K., chestnut whacking (also known as conkers) is a fiercely competitive sport.

Show Me How To Play

The Wannabe Phenomenon

When you were a child, did you ever get one of those cheap knock-off toys as a gift? These toys could never really pass the smell test, could they? A "Barbic" just isn't a Barbie.

Click to See Weird Fakes

93-Year Tree-dition

This year, the Christmas tree chosen for display in Midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Center is a 67-year old Norway Spruce that stands 74-feet tall and weighs 11-tons. Its diameter measures 13 meters. It was donated by Earl Albert and his family who live in Stockridge, Massachusetts. This is the first time since 1959 that a Rockefeller Christmas tree has come from Massachusetts. The tree travelled 225 km by flatbed trailer to its destination in New York City. It will take 8 kms of strand lights and 50,000 LED bulbs to decorate the tree. It will be topped by a 9-foot, 900 lbs. Swarovski crystal star. It takes 90 gallons of water per day to keep it looking lush and beautiful.

More To The Story ...

6.5 Kms of Magic

Toronto's iconic Santa Claus Parade recently celebrated its 120th anniversary. Did you know that it's the longest-running parade in the world?

Download the infographic

TOGETHER WITH

PODCAST SPOTLIGHT

November 30, 2024 - Nick and Roy

INVENTIONS- SCIENCE- CARS

This week on the show- can astronauts whistle on the moon? Which planet in our solar system is not named after a god or goddess? What is the world record for…

Listen to the Show

MONTHLY MADNESS

Christmas Anglers

What kind of fishing is this?

For All the Jingle Ladies

You Go Grrrl!

Move over, Rudolph

The Yule Goat is Here

BRAIN BUSTERS

Each of the images below represents a well-known Christmas phrase. Can you guess what that saying is just by looking at the image? Scroll to the end of the newsletter to see if you guessed correctly.

TOGETHER WITH

Great Lakes Brewery

Ever think of giving your friends "The 12 Beers of Christmas"? Now, you can!

Check out the offerings

FROM OUR MAILBAG

2nd Contest Winner 🏆

Congratulations to Kosta from Gatineau, Quebec! He is another winner of our "5th Anniversary Contest". Kosta's entry won because he gave us some great - but totally useless information - about the origin of the "Okay!" hand gesture.

🏆Do you want some free swag too? What are you waiting for? Send Nick and Roy a voice message on nickandroy.com.

WORTH REPEATING

Are the meat sweats a real thing?

Do you remember that episode of Friends ... you know the one where Joey eats a 19-lbs. turkey for Thanksgiving? After eating the entire bird by himself, Joey claims to have the "meat sweats".

Listen to the Doctor

WORD ON THE STREET

As useless as the -ueue in "queue"

Word nerds, have you noticed how many silent letters there are during the festive season? Y'know, those pointless letters that make English words tricky to spell. Aphthongs are everywhere at this time of the year: in hymns, and on menorahs, on boughs, on wreaths, on gnomes, and on sleighs, in wrapping, in fruitcake, in guests and in mistletoe. Of course, let's not forget in Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Click on the word search to test how quickly you can spot 21 words which contain the proverbial ghosts of pronunciations past!

We wanted to leave you with one more useless goodie. Check out this musical sketchpad that puts sound to your scribbles. Isn't it a modern twist on the vintage Etch-A-Sketch?

Answers to BRAIN BUSTERS: 1. Noël 2. Three Wise Men 3. Last Christmas 4. White Christmas 5. Season's Greetings 6. Peace on Earth

Totally Useless VIP Newsletter

Let us know how we did this month. editor@nickandroy.com

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