Flagged up by Paul on the Newsgroup is Anna Minton's latest piece on CiF, The London Olympics: a festival of private Britain.

Back on 13th August 2009, a Thursday not a Friday so unsure if this was the cause of the mishap, Anthony, London 2012 likes to keep things informal, the External Relations Executive, a kind of 2012 Foreign Office person, in a fit of poorly considered enthusiasm asked a question: 'Who should get the chance to perform? Morris dancers for the traditionalists? Street dancers for the modern?'

The United Nations has joined the British Houses of Parliament in fantasising about an outbreak of peace during the Olympic Games. In his speech, full of the usual Olympic flatulence, in which he proposed the motion which was agreed by every member nation, LoCoe claimed: "the extraordinary level of cosponsorship ... is a testament to the relevance of the truce and the Olympic Games in a time of global challenges." In fact the Resolution made no mention of any conflicts or any particular action to prevent war. The very fact that everybody felt able to sign it is probably an indication of its meaninglessness.

the Black Power Salute: 16th October 1968, screenshot from Democracy Now

Reposted below are both parts of Democracy Now's exclusive interview with John Carlos and Dave Zirin, shedding new light and detail on the people and events around the Mexico 1968 Games, the student massacre, the Black Power Salute, Tommie Smith, Peter Norman, John Carlos, Avery Brundage...

Bizarrely, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has had a go at Coca Cola, Olympic sponsors for 85 years, for deciding to bus their employees and guests to Stratford. Others have condemned them for breaking the 'Olympic Spirit'!

LOCOG published its 2010-11 annual report this week. Pages 69 & 70 (71 & 72 in the PDF) are the most fun, as Kevin Blowe pointed out:

Shock! Horror! Wenlock and Mandeville can't swim! Plainly for health and safety reasons they can't be allowed near the Aquatic Centre so instead Locog has come up with the wizard wheeze of giving them free swimming lessons in the Beano. LoCoe claimed 'This is a creative way to engage children in the Olympic and Paralympic values'.

The Pudding Mill White Elephant just won't lie down. CoeLtd is still hoping to bring the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships to London. But it all depends on there being an available stadium. After all it's hard to hold an Athletics Championships without one. LoCoe has his own IAAF ambitions with the next milestone in 2015 when he hopes to succeed to the top job. The loss of a stadium could prove terminal to those ambitions.

Neither Paxo on last night's Newsnight, nor John Humphreys on this morning's Radio 4 Today 'knew' there'd be a Westfield at Stratford. Apparently from within their BBC bubble Westfield is only that thing near to TV Centre at Wood Lane? Or perhaps they're being briefed? Whichever it was, both occasions provided a platform (again) for Tessa Jowell's lies on legacy claiming Stratford Westfield.

No telly so haven't seen it, but on Twitter @jennifermjones was rather caustic about Tier 1 sponsor BP's new Olympics greenwashing ad:

Oh my god. Just saw the London2012/BP advert. It is a f***ing oil company talking about blatantly greening a mega event.

As @PlatformLondon point out, BP do culture-washing too. The newly launched UK edition of HuffPo has a review, Hunt's Glass Slipper is Filling with Toxic Toes. As the title suggests it's not exactly flattering about the new Tessa, Jeremy *unt either.

But Reverend Billy is coming to cleanse them. And there was some guerilla ballet in Trafalgar Square too: BP White Swan

BP White Swan from You and I Films.