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Some interesting uses I've noted for the 'useless skills' listed above actually came into play in a campaign where my partner and I are trying to make an empire out of the entire forgotten realms.

Knowledge Local: When trying to take over kingdoms, or going to somewhere new in general. This has made diplomacy and getting around easier. Think about how hard it would be to get on good terms with a dwarf if you told them to shave their beard as your 'hello'.

Forgery: Falsified lots of land deed and the like with this skill, saved on spells per day and it was cheap.

Knowledge Geography: Well, alone maybe useless, but combine it with Knowledge Dungeoneering, my character was able to roughly build a map of the dungeon in three dimensions and have it relative to the terrain above them. It was nice to know where we'd come out when we had to go straight up.

Jump, Climb, Swim, Forgery, Dechipher Script: These work wonders on infiltration missions where magic is ill advised. Theoretically every time a mage casts a spell there is something giving that away. Verbal, somatic, auras, detect magic. Where as with the skill checks, there is almost no trace it happened. If you were scouting out Thay, and were hostile, I don't think you'd want to set off every bell and whistle because you used magic.

Handle Animal: This can be useful if you actually take into account travel times. Many campaigns I play in can span nations, I'd rather make a handle animal check to cut the time down to several days rather then months. Also, if you consider the speed at which you're traveling, less chance of random attacks while on the move.

Onto some fun combos.
Profession: Cook with Craft: Alchemy; It was a great way to combine these two and poison food without it being poisoned traditionally. If you poison food normally a detect poison spell will reveal it, then Purify food and drink or neutralize posion and the situation is solved. However, add some chemicals that are fatal when ingested into the food you cooked, posions without poison.

Knowledge: Local + Nobility and Gather Info: A great way to get dirt on the people running the current city. Then use Intimidate to bend them to your will... Diplomacy has less garunteed results.

Knowledge: Local + History + Religion: Successful checks on these grants you a pretty good insight as to the general feel for the population and their laws, and how strict their dogma impacts these. Beats being run out of town by zelous clerics.

One thing I've found that really helps spark new inspiration and 'breaks the character mold' that I often find my characters falling into is try playing the polar opposite. Example; I often play high skill, low combat characters. I found that I started getting bored with that, so I played a barbarian for a bit. While it wasn't easy it was fun playing something I wasnt used to and it helped create some original ideas for later characters.

Another thing that helps set characters apart are their quirks. Just pick a few things that your character does. In a current campaign I'm playing a Drow Sniper/Scout. Doesn't matter where the party goes, she always sits at the highest point. The party could be going over a map of the reagion and she'll sit on the desk instead of standing around it. This had created many amusing situations and it (unintentionally) fits her character, a sniper wants to have the best vantage point.

So, in short my two suggestions for not playing the 'same character' are: 1) Play the polar opposite for a change and get a feel for somethine out of your comfort zone. 2) Pick a few behavior quirks that you roleplay.