Possible? Toggle statusbar

Hi all,

is it possible to toggle the statusbar on and off?
I like to work in an 'almost-fullscreen' mode. The problem is that
from time to time I need to check the battery monitor, the clock, or
any of the information usually included in the statusbar. It would be
great for me to toggle the statusbar in the same way the scratchpad
can be toggled, not necessarily popping up at the center of the screen
(it is ok for me that the status bar appears where it usually does).

Thanks a lot in advance.

dani