Ask Mr. Know It All

By Gary Clothier

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.

Q. Are the members in the country trio Lady Antebellum related to each other? What are their names? Where are they from?

M.T.L., Chattanooga, Tenn.

A. The three members who make up Lady Antebellum are Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley. They are not related.

Scott was born April 1, 1986, in Nashville; she is the daughter of country artist Linda Davis and musician Lang Scott. Kelley was born Sept. 11, 1981. Haywood was born July 5, 1982. Haywood and Kelley were childhood friends in Augusta, Ga., where they were both born. They begin writing music together when they were 14.

Q. A woman sitting behind me in a diner 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. She called it her “sugar” something. Is that enough for you to figure out the type of animal ?

E.N.A., Wyomissing, Pa.

A. 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 5 to 6 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.

Q. Let’s say I’m hiking and stumble upon a chunk of gold. It’s 1 cubic foot. How much does it weigh?

A.L.B., Amsterdam, N.Y.

A. One cubic foot of 24-karat gold weighs a bit over 1,200 pounds.

Q. I used to go to auctions, hoping to buy my million-dollar item for a buck or two. At the end of each auction, leftover or unsold items are put into boxes and sold for less than a dollar — I bought several. There is an old baseball in one, signed by someone with the last name “Brady,” and it looks like the first name starts with an “S.” On the opposite side of the ball, someone wrote “Chicago WS.” I can’t find that name on the roster. Do you have any clues?

P.L., Lakeville, Minn.

A. If you checked the Chicago White Stockings, you’d have had luck. The White Stockings were the forerunner to the Chicago Cubs. Very possibly the ball was signed by Michael T. “Spike” Brady. He did not have much of a major league career. Brady played in only one game, on Sept. 25, 1875. He had one hit (a triple) in four at-bats, scored a run and had three errors in eight chances in center field.

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

2012 Gary Clothier