Word on the ‘street’ is that Hotel Dusk: Room 215, my favorite Nintendo DS game is being re-released in a couple weeks. Amazon shows an in-stock date of Sept 11. I’d rather it was a sequel, but maybe more people will get hooked and fund one.

I’ve noticed some recent fashion buzz around fancy penny loafers and it took me back to the preppy years when Bass Weejuns were the loafer of choice. George Bass founded his company in 1876 and turned Wilton, Maine from a farming town into a factory town. He made boots for farmers and loggers and handed the business down to his two sons who died before the Weejuns hit paydirt in the preppy trend. Chesebrough-Ponds purchased Bass with great success, but eventually moved jobs out of Maine to stay competitive in pricing. Gradually, shoe production was moved entirely out of the country and after Phillips-Van Heusen bought the company they closed down production in Maine in 1998. Residents worried that Wilton would turn into a ghost town, but on the Wilton, Maine website, they note the growth of a plastic injection molding business and a state-0f-the-art call center.

Seattle Times’ reporters in Beijing manage to experience a bit of real China in a hutong. Aided by Kristi Heim’s skill in Mandarin and friendly residents, Steve Kelley gets to see what life is like in the alleyways and courtyards of old Beijing.

Amy Tan’s “The Bonesetter’s Daughter” will soon have its world premiere as an opera on the stage in San Francisco. The music had its genesis in a 50th birthday present for Tan from Stewart Wallace who had not read the book when he composed her musical gift to celebrate its publication and her half-century. Tan was called in to write the libretto when the librettist pulled out. She pared the plot and characters into scenes that let the music tell the story.

It’s a theme that’s been repeated several time in regional papers: the loss of the independent bookstores. In Seattle there are more bookstores per capita than any other U.S. city, but the city grows increasingly expensive and several niche independents have closed their doors. All for Kids Books & Music closed this summer; an article in 2006 described owner Chauni Haslet’s passion to keep it afloat. The big three stalwarts Elliott Bay Book Co., University Book Store and Third Place Books are holding steady.

Mild “spoilers” for the Olympics Closing Ceremonies.

A couple of quick Bellevue shopping news items: The Bellevue Square Nordstrom has decided to reinstate live piano music after feedback from customers. Top Pot Donuts is now open in Bellevue. Oh, and I-405 will be OPEN this coming weekend as the Wilburton Tunnel demolition is ahead of schedule so folks can head down to IKEA or that fancy renovated Southcenter mall.

Where there’s an Olympics blog, there’s a list. The N.Y. Times’ Rings blog compiles, for your listening pleasure, the 48 national anthems of all gold medal winning countries (as of posting time).

Behind the bands: Trevor Horn. As a pop music producer, Trevor Horn presided over the 1980s, bringing his crack team along to shine up ABC, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones, and several others. As a musician, he founded the Buggles (“Video Killed the Radio Star”), Art of Noise, and was a member of Yes who he ultimately influenced more as a producer later on. Going into the 1990s and present day, Horn has been behind Seal, Paul McCartney, LeAnn Rimes, Belle and Sebastian, and more. In 2004, Trevor Horn celebrated 25 years in the business by holding a concert with several of his collaborators at Wembley to benefit The Prince’s Trust. He went all out with string and brass sections, several backing vocalists, his trusty session musicians, and, of course, himself. You can find Youtube videos of the performances ripped off the DVD. Most notable for me was the live performance of Art of Noise’s “Close (to the Edit)“. The recording was built from samples and sequencing, but for the concert Horn learned the bass line and recreated much of the sampled sound, though he did not go as far as to bring a car on stage to provide the engine starts and stalls. (others: “Video Killed the Radio Star“, Yes: “Owner of a Lonely Heart“, Frankie: “Relax“, PSB: “Left to my Own Devices“)

Palo Alto, CA residents and other frequenters of University Avenue will recognize the Squire House, though they may not know it by name. It’s the “white house” at 900 University Ave, and it’s on the market, yours for $12,500,000. According to the Redfin blog, this 1905 house was almost demolished in the 1960s but it was ultimately preserved and put on the National Register of Historic Places. Redfin also says that Palo Alto owns an easement for the façade so that owners can’t alter it, but to make up for that, owners get tax breaks, which may be not unsubstantial for a home of this price in that neighborhood.