Q: I got an email claiming that March 2013 will have five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays. The email goes on to say this occurrence is rare and happens only once every 823 years. Is all of this true? -- H.L, Rowena, Texas

A: It is true that March 2013 will have five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays -- just take a peek at your calendar. While you're at it, look at July 2011, August 2014 and July 2016. You'll see that this is far from a rare occurrence. All that has to happen is for a 31-day month to begin on Friday.

Q: I'm at a party, and I'm very bored. I'm looking at a large bowl of shelled peanuts. How many peanuts are there in a pound? -- J.G., Spring Hill, Fla.

A: Wow, you MUST be bored. That's the last thing I'd be thinking about at a party. But, since you asked, I have the answer for you. I'm looking at the nutrition facts on the side of a container of Planter's Extra Large Virginia Peanuts and it says there are about 34 peanuts in an ounce.  There are 16 ounces per pound. So 34 peanuts times 16 ounces equals 544 peanuts in a pound.

Q: I've heard of the movie "The Perfect Storm." Is there such a thing as a perfect storm? -- T.R.M., Cookeville, Tenn.

A: Yes, there is. The phrase has been used since the early 1700s, although back then it had a positive connotation. The first use of the expression in the meteorological sense was in March 1936, when a meteorologist described the rare combination of events that led to a "perfect storm."  

When journalist and author Sebastian Junger began researching a book about the devastating 1991 Halloween storm that hit the Eastern seaboard, he interviewed a Boston meteorologist who described the different weather-related phenomena that combined to create the perfect situation to generate such a storm. He liked the way those words sounded. His book, "The Perfect Storm," was released in 1997, and the movie followed in 2000. Since then, the term has been used to describe anything from financial crises, workplace conditions and even tumultuous marriages. In 2007, Lake Superior State University added the phrase to its list of words that deserve to be banned.

DO YOU KNOW? Who is older: Ronald Reagan or Frank Sinatra? ... Ronald Reagan was born in 1911; Frank Sinatra was born in 1915.

Q: I was in a diner with high-back bench seats. A woman sitting behind me was talking about her pet, which she described as being "the most adorable creature you have ever seen." She went on to say it was small and bushy tailed, with soft fur. She said it was incredibly friendly. Early in the conversation she called it her "sugar" something. I don't know if this is her nickname for the pet, or if I've provided enough information for you to figure out the type of animal this is. -- E.N.A., Wyomissing, Pa.

A: "Sugar" something is enough information for me to at least give you a good possibility. I think she has a sugar glider. They are native to Australia and Indonesia. This little creature is a member of the same order that includes kangaroos, opossums, wombats and Tasmanian devils! The sugar glider's head and body measure five to six inches long, and it has a bushy tail of equal length. The adult glider weighs 4 to 6 ounces. They live for about 12 years.  

Sugar gliders are not cheap. The price range is $200 to $600. The features the woman described are accurate. They are cute.





(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)