A future MIT study of our surf habits may find we navigate from muscle memory. We think we’re consciously typing shelterrific but in fact we are merely following our own neural pathways, satisfying neurons that want to fire in their chosen order. But a sudden same topic can break that biochemical spell, which is how the bag thing happened.

Mid-July, the much-touted appearance of Anya Hindmarch’s canvas “I am not a plastic bag” eco-chic tote nearly caused murder by stilleto on the Whole Foods lines. (Those girls knew fashion when they smelled it, whether or not they gave a hoot about the campaign to ban plastic bags.) Now, a few weeks later, the British designer’s $15 bag (which reminds me of those going-to-the-pool canvas bags with rope handles in the '70s) is over (ish), except for collectors digging into eBay ($199). Then came the smartest refuter, mentioned on ApartmentTherapy and Treehugger and all across the porchlight-o-sphere. Progressive Bag Alliance’s “I’m a plastic bag and I’m recyclable" is either witty and well-intentioned or just witty, but either way it's been impossible not to notice. Also see the PBA’s own site, written in hilarious haute-green-corporate, a great PR spoof. If, indeed, it’s a spoof.

In August 2007 the design blogosphere is so big and happy it hits all the metaphors. It’s an enchanted forest. It’s like a perfect village where everyone has their porch light on. Although the other night I turned on the porch light and wound up with some big unwelcome insects in my hair. See the Wikipedia definition of astroturfing (props to Treehugger for that): "public relations campaigns in politics and advertising that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behavior." As TH pointed out, the PBA bag campaign is not astroturfing, but it’s something; the agenda is just scented shifty.

So blogging is the global hive. Sweep the happy antenna in the direction of everyone else, cross-pollinate, do a wiggle-dance to show the way to the meadow. What’s the honey? When we make stuff and buy stuff and make other people buy stuff we made or our friends made and talk about stuff and then get comments on our talk about the stuff — you can sing that Jesus and Mary Chain song and feel the love. Or you can go to handmade cyberemporium etsy, about as globally well-intentioned as you can get — directed there, often, by design*sponge (run by Grace Bonney). Bonney is constantly uncovering wonderful handmaking divas and divos: It’s the homespun B-side of her glossy position. You can certainly stay on the real grass, unless you’re xeriscaping.

I flock to the design devotees at shelterrific; polystyle giant mod party Apartment Therapy; intimate (joyfully, with the most minimalist, superb forms), hoping for happy accidents, faux bois it's knot wood, brilliant how-to ikeahacker; and where-to notmartha. And for conscience with an attitude, Treehugger. So many others. These, of course, link you to all sorts of places, the very un-hip justmurals (if it wonders how it got all that hipster traffic suddenly, it was a blogger who found it, bypassing pbteen marketing for the original source). Despite the astoturf phenomenon, it’s fun to outplay the marketing teams: I discovered that Target was undercutting UrbanOutfitters by about a hundred dollars on a popular tufted velvet chaise by realizing UO’s “Antoinette Fainting Sofa” and Target's “Button-Tufted Chaise Settee” were one and the same. Both are made — like the fancy tufted headboards — by Skyline Furniture. Can’t afford down-ish market yet still pricey Brocade Home? Get the tufted chaise in eggplant or acid green.

I don’t know if this is astoturfing or not, but now that Japanese household goods and design company Muji (Mujirushi Ryōhin, translated as No Brand Quality Goods) is launching a US website, we have two things to look forward to. 1: you won’t have to go to MOMA for its sleek, brilliant designs, such as those great cardboard speakers. 2: the nonsensical gobbledygook written on the home page is a lot of fun to read. More like a spoof on zen koan, or high Engrish. But you can see the boardroom nodding seriously in their Italian suits.

Jana Martin is The MOLI View's contributing editor for Fashion & Design.