International Anti-Corruption Day and a remarkable coincidence

Image of former Gov. Blagojevich obtained here.

Today we observe yet another UN microminiholidayette, International Anti-Corruption Day.

The day has been on the calendar since the early 2000s -- and, so it was, early in the morning of International Anti-Corruption Day 2008 that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was dragged from his Chicago home by the FBI, charged with plotting to sell the U.S. Senate seat about to vacated by then-President-Elect Barack Obama. (He would eventually be convicted of these charges.)

History is just chock full of little ironies like that, isn't it?

Today is also National Pastry Day: Buy yourself some doughnuts today instead of eating the Christmas cookies faster than your spouse can bake them.

There are a couple of even more obvious Christmas tie-ins today: National Salesperson's Day (be nice to the help at the mall today; it's not their fault that the store's run out of all the nice sweaters in your mother-in-law's size) and -- as if anyone needed any extra holiday pressure -- Christmas Card Day. (What? Your holiday cards aren't already addressed and stamped and in the mail? What are you doing playing around online? Get back to work!)