Richard Nixon signed legislation making Father's Day a national observance in 1972 (see, 36 U.S.C. §109)

No matter how much you don't like Tricky Dick, that does not give you an excuse for failing to call your father today.

And speaking of your federal government, the United States Census Bureau has published a handy list of Fun Facts concerning Father's Day.

Did you know, for example, that there are roughly 7,708 men's clothing stores in the United States? That seems like a lot -- until you realize that there are almost twice as many hardware stores (15,734 as of 2009) -- and almost three times as many sporting goods stores (21,628 as of 2009).

And there's lots more taverns than any of these.

Dads: We have our priorities straight.

Happy Father's Day.