London 2012!!!

I feel for you, New York, I really do. Toronto lost out to Beijing not too long ago, and that's far worse than losing out to London. But at least Paris lost. Can you imagine the arrogant, self-congratulatory spectacle of a French Olympics? Besides, as an Englishman myself (dual-citizenship with Canada), and with much of my family living over in England, not too far from London, I cannot help but look forward with excitement to 2012.

See here for the story of yesterday's vote in Singapore.

See here for the reactions from Trafalgar Square. See here for some heartfelt, if excessive, anticipation of "the greatest celebration of life that London has seen, that Britain has seen, that the world has seen". See here for how Blair won it behind the scenes for London. See here for FAQs on the London Olympics.

See here for all the Parisian despair. And see here for more of Chirac's decline and fall into political oblivion -- "a King Lear ruling over a country that fears for its future," "a deeply unpopular, bungling politician who is eking out his 22 months to retirement" (boo-hoo).

Well done, London. Now let's see what you can do.