IN SOVIET RUSSIA, KINDLE READS YOU!  Actually, here too, as the WSJ's Alexandra Alter explained to NPR's On The Media last weekend just what publishers may do with the data that Amazon is compiling:

For them to be able to see most readers are skipping the introduction of this book, most readers are heavily underlining the third chapter of this book, that’s a pretty good indication of what is of interest to large groups of readers. They can use that to tailor books to people’s taste more.

Of course, not every book will be put through a focus group. I mean, you’re not gonna have Jonathan Franzen’s next novel cut in half because 30% of people didn’t finish Freedom, 25% of people didn’t finish The Corrections.

But I have talked to publishers who said, you know, they would like to have this kind of information. They wish Amazon would share it. Barnes & Noble intends to share some of it with publishers. So they’re looking forward to having a better sense of what readers like.

More, in her precursor piece for the WSJ:

FISH ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD:  A Finding Nemo sequel? Really?  I mean, it could be Toy Story 2 (or 3), but it could also be Cars 2. I'd rather see them try something new with mixed results like Brave than go back to this ... ocean.

AIN'T NOBODY GOT NOTHIN' TO SAY ABOUT A FORTY DEGREE DAY:  I'm not quite sure how to summarize two episodes of The Wire like "Dead Soldiers" and "Hamsterdam," which do such an amazing job of explaining how difficult it is to try to reform the systems you're in. Bunny Colvin can't seem to get the police or the public on board with his idea for Amsterdam-by-the-Bay, Stringer can't get his crew to not be knuckleheads while he's going legit, and Cutty, poor Cutty, well, we can guess where that may be going.

And then there's Tommy Carcetti, ambitious and narcissistic enough to be grinning at himself at the mirror during a one-night stand, yet caring enough about policy to show up at a West Baltimore community meeting attended by maybe ten people, none of whom are actually his constituents, and only one of whom is a beloved deceased member of the E Street Band. He wants to run for Mayor ... why?  Both reasons? Yeah, that might be true to politics.

Meanwhile, Marlo Stanfield is our new Big Bad of the season, even if the police have no idea that he's not part of the Barksdale Organization (which Avon is about to rejoin); McNulty and Cool Lester Smooth are butting heads; and no one in the unit is George Washington Carver.  Oh, well, here's The Pogues, "The Body of an American."

AN HONORABLE FINALE:  Roger Ebert likes, but doesn't love, The Dark Knight Rises. (Review appears to be spoiler-free.)

THE CIRCUITS THAT CANNOT BE CUT ARE CUT AUTOMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO A TERRORIST INCIDENT. YOU ASKED FOR MIRACLES, THEO. I GIVE YOU THE F... B... I...  Mental Floss lists nine of the most secure safes and vaults in the world.

GOTYE RAE JEPSEN: Yes, an enterprising soul has mashed up "Somebody That I Used To Know" and "Call Me Maybe."  Has he created an abomination that must be destroyed or an all-powerful fusion of Songs of the Summer?  Discuss.

PAGING DALEY THOMPSON:  With the Games of the XXX Olympiad set to open next Friday night, I am interested as always in promoting the best guest commentary out there (Our Beijing coverage is mostly here and here.) If there's an athletic discipline in for which you have particular insight and feel like contributing, let me know.

In the meantime, I plan to cover my normal topics -- the joys of pageantry, my problems with the International Olympic Committee and [insert local tyrannical regime here], the Israeli women's rhythmic gymnastics squad, speculation over the final torch bearer, the biennial article about Olympic Village hookups, and, of course, whether Michael Phelps should extend his celebrity with his post-Olympics film debut in Swimkata.