Along with Rio Tinto another well known and long standing friend of the Olympics and sponsor of London 2012 is Coca Cola, aka Killer Coke, which is being sued in the United States by trade unions acting on behalf of workers and trade unionists in Turkey, Colombia and Guatemala.

Just as London faces the threat of a fine from the IOC for exceeding pollution levels, which could also endanger particular events like the marathon, Tube Unions have rejected BoJo's pay deal which would cover the 2012 Games and allow for the Tube to run for longer during the event.

The British Olympic Association may have achieved a 'win win' result with 'real clarity' by backing down from its argument with LOCOG, but it has now taken a backhanded swipe at its Olympic enemies! The BOA has withdrawn from hosting the biannual meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), which is usually held a few months before the Summer Olympics in the host city, justifying this by blaming its parlous financial situation. This follows on from the BOA's attempt to extract extra money from LOCOG, an argument rejected by the IOC. The biannual ANOC event coincides with the meeting of the IOC's executive committee. Now the BOA has used its failure to improve its financial position to prevent LOCOG showing off its preparations for the 2012 Games to the Olympic family and forced 'the family' to meet in Moscow rather than London!

SebCoLtd and the IOC's Denis Oswald took a stroll along Brick Lane as part of further attempts to pacify Tower Hamlets after the marathon was rerouted to Buck House. Tower Hamlets' reward? To be proclaimed London's 2012 Curry Capital.

So, turns out it's not just the 2012 Host Borough of Hackney that bans books (well more specifically bans the launch event of an Olympics critical author from one of its public libraries).

Podium Conference 2011: Copyright ©2011 sytaffel

This paper discusses the siting of the Summer Olympic Games at the global, national and local scales. The increasing corporatization of the Games is examined. Their use in city marketing campaigns is evaluated.

The Telegraph has suggested the 2012 Olympics will provide a key test for the new Bribery Act. Corporate hospitality is supposed to come under scrutiny. Really? The whole point about this kind of event is the bidding war which requires nations to chuck goodies at international sports bodies. Freebies are what the IOC and others expect while sponsors and businesses have always used tickets to arts and sports events as a way to make friends and influence people.