The APPEC conference in Singapore last week had some spectacular social events every night, Christine tells me today on her return to London. At the Lukoil party, guests had their photos taken and were given souvenir postcards to take away. Here the ICIS team is captured hard at work on Russian/Singaporean détente - clockwise from top:  Roland, Vicky, Sachie, Sheldon.

Picture his despair when Joe Chang, a die-hard New York Mets fan - who did NOT want to see the New York Yankees win the World Series - got to his desk the morning following their triumph to find it covered in Yankees logos.

His mournful cry of "Noooo!!!" chilled the bones of all who were working in the Park Avenue South NYC offices of ICIS Chemical Business.

Polyester producer Teijin is to stage a free jazz concert in Bangkok on 6 December 2009 starring the famous saxophone player, Koh Mr Saxman, the company announced in a press release today, spotted by my fellow blogger Doris.

The concert is expected to attract two to three thousand people, and will reflect the company's green philosophy. On stage, Koh Mr Saxman will wear the company's environmentally-friendly recyclable casual jackets. After the jackets are worn out, they can be collected and recycled into new polyester materials through Teijin's "Eco Circle" closed-loop recycling system.

(photo: Koh Mr Saxman)

He discovered his allergy when he was given a steroid injection containing polyethylene glycol to treat a problem with his foot. His face swelled up, his heart stopped and he had to be resuscitated.

Now he finds he comes out in a rash whenever he goes near his wife, since polyethylene glycol is a frequent ingredient in skincare products.

It's been a bad week for glycol stories in the press ...

Polyurethane swimsuits are again causing an uproar in the international world of swimming. The 50,000 members of U.S. Masters Swimming are divided over the neck-to-ankle polymer suits, and some members of the association are accusing their fellows of unfair propulsion and are pushing for a ban.

This follows the decision in July by the sport's ruling body, the Fédération Internationale de Natation, or the International Swimming Federation, known as FINA, that it would ban the suits as of January 2010 following pressure from coaches.

"The costume magically helps the wearer shed decades and seconds off the clock. The suits provide a kind of support that elite athletes never have to think about. They suck in nonaerodynamic paunches, flatten aging flab and bolster arthritic knees," according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

(photo: Adidas)

On the same theme, a colleague who was following the nylon market, found that she was constantly being alerted to news about people hanging themselves with nylon cord. And another reporter in the ICIS London office has had to stop receiving alerts after coming across some very unpleasant news articles on the use of Butanediol (BDO) as a date rape drug.

Still on the plastic fashion theme, now you can have a stylish hooded poncho made from recycled potatoes. When you're finished with it, you simply bury it in the ground and seeds contained in the fabric will grow into a new plant, according to an article in yesterday's Austrian Times. The potato seeds are in little pouches, and the rotting coats provides all the raw material for the seeds to germinate.

Continuing the Blog's love affair with potatoes: Plastics from Potatoes; Heaviest Potato and my own favourite: Seriously Chemical Potatoes

(photo: Manolo Toledo)

Late into Thursday night, they were posting a string of photos of models wearing plastics and a possible journalistic first: an interview with a catwalk model on the benefits of wearing plastics.  

Football had its brief moment in the spotlight after some eager 5-a-side games at EPL and the infamous annual APLA national team championship where players' nationalities can be pretty fluid and injuries are always multiple.

After this brief flowering, golf has reasserted its stranglehold on the industry. As a non-golfer, I've enjoyed the alternative trips round stately homes, spa outings, the funny speeches and especially the takeaway golfshirts with company logos which stay untouched, some still in their plastic wrappers, on a high shelf in the wardrobe.

Now a friend has emailed the Blog a promo video for Calloway's "Big Bertha" golf club which is unsuitable not only for a corporate blog but also so unsuitable that it was quarantined by the ICIS anti-virus filter. At first I thought it must be a spoof, but have subsequently found it on YouTube. While browsing through Calloway's range of amusing golfing ads, I came across this one on "hitting a 3-metal from salad" ...

The Women in Leadership Forum (WILForum) in Dubai yesterday awarded its Achievement Award in Energy to the CEO of Kuwait Oil Company, delegates reported as they returned to their offices. The Forum was held under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein (pictured).

Olefins trader Gina Fyffe of Integra was among those shortlisted for the Energy award at the conference, which was held at the Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah.

(photo: WILForum)

According to the American Chemistry Council's new website which launched today, plastic is the newest trend in couture, and to make the point the site will present the Gen Art "Fresh Faces in Fashion" Los Angeles Show on 29 October, hosted by actress Kaley Cuoco, star of the popular CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory.

"From Paris to Milan to New York, plastics are showing up in a variety of innovative and unusual ways on the runway including funky jewelry, 10-inch platform shoes and even sequined mini-dresses made from recycled plastic bottles."

The Blog was particularly entranced by this link to "How Many Bottles to Make a Handbag."

(photo: plasticsmakeitpossible.com)