Wow! Not only hosting it, but already projecting the winner!
Yes indeed. Chirac is no doubt weeping in his crepes at the news that London will be the recipient of all that lovely olympic-generated wonga.
In the meantime, there are still 7 years before we need to worry about building stuff like infrastructure, transport, security, accommodation, world-class stadia⌠not to mention worrying about the weather and that fact that all the snack-foods and sports drinks thatâll be the âofficial sponsors of The London Gamesâ will fail any athleteâs drug test.
Ooh! Iâve just thought! All those lucky lucky bâstrds living in London whoâll be able to rent out tent space in their back yards to olympic tourists for extortionate rates! And sell maps of the underground on street corners!
No doubt it was the catering arrangements that swung it for us, our cuisine being so much better anâ all.
I was in Trafalgar Square when it was announced. People started whoopinâ and hollerinâ as the speaker said ââŚhas announced that the winner will beâŚâ and none of us actually HEARD them say London, but we celebrated anyway.
Pictures tonight!
Poor Mr Chirac. He just canât seem to win a vote these days. 
Hey thatâs great! Iâm glad it wasnât New York. Weâve (the US) had them 5 times in the past 20 years.
Why are they always in big cities? Why not small towns? The town could tear down lots of forest land and fill in those pesky swamps and build multimillion dollar hotels and all the infrastructure. When itâs over the whole mess could be a ghost town.
Cincinnati was going to try and get it - but Mike Brown wouldnât allow them to use Paul Brown stadium, it might tear up the grass. 
(inside joke - when Billy Grahamn was here 2 years ago, he had to pay a retainer of $10,000 in case his crusade ruined the grass. There were billboard all around town stating â65,000 people praying in Paul Brown Stadium, and itâs not even a Bengalâs gameâ.
When the high schools in town used the field, Mike Brown wasnât going to let the bands perform - you know those piccolo players really are tough on turf.
After the first game of the season, the entire field is dirt or mud. Theyâve replanted it for the past three years - now they are going to some special ânot really artificialâ stuff).
Woohoo! Time to stock up on the 99 Flake!
âŚwhich costs ÂŁ1.10, with an additional 20p if you want a Flake on it. 
How has the past hosting cities done after the Olympics have visited. I know that there is a short-term economic boon, but a lot of expensive to maintain equipment and transportation infrastructure is placed into the cities and will be there for a long time. Dose it help in the long term?
They havenât maintained the existing underground Tube network, so I doubt theyâll bother about maintaining any new stuff.
Meantime, anyone want to rent some tent-space for 2012 but at 2005 prices?
Not me! I avoided the Games and everything associated with them when we had them in 2002. The only reminder I have of them now is seeing the flame tower when driving past Rice-Eccles Stadium. I have no idea if SLC benefited long-term from having the Games here. The Chamber of Commerce would probably tell you weâve gained some tourism dollars, but I wonderâŚ
Susan
Hey Martin. Guess whoâs just been nominated to host the 2012 C&F Gathering.
Hurrah! Better get that bathroom sorted mate!
Theyâre starting work on 1st August! Knowing the alacrity of the average British workman, it might just get finished in time!
You mean you only got a day and month from them? Didnât you insist on knowing the year?
Most cities (and countries) suffer financial pains for years afterwards. The exception was the Atlanta 1996 Olympics which turned a profit. Greece, being a relatively small country in terms of economy and population will be paying for their two weeks in 2004 for quite some time:
http://www.patrides.com/sept04/engreece.htm
For cities that have most of the infrastructure needed, such as a stadium big enough for the opening and closing ceremonies, enough temporary housing for the thousands of athletes and journalists, a cycling venue, a swimming venue, the costs can be considerably less. That said, Beijing is projecting a $28 billion USD budget for the 2008 games (compared to about $10 billion for the 2004 Athens games).
This just in from Martin
If you are worried about your cuisine⌠if Jacques Chiracâs remarks (I love that name⌠it kind of rhymes) made you nervous⌠I can recommend some good eating that you might prepare for the Olympics. Itâs Oklahomaâs official state meal⌠by act of Legislature (House Concurrent Resolution 1083).
â˘barbecued pork
â˘chicken-fried steak
â˘sausage with biscuits and gravy
â˘fried okra and squash
â˘grits
â˘corn
â˘blackeyed peas
â˘cornbread
â˘strawberries
â˘pecan pie