Recovery, Rodent, Rooftops, Dialectics and Exams

Almost completely recovered from the cellulitis skin infection referred to in the last post. A hefty and regular dose of a broad-spectrum antibiotic (cephalexin, to be exact) has done its job, although a repeat script and a script for skin dryness (betamethasone) did also require the visit to a second doctor near RMIT; an excellent individual who always manages to quickly provide alternative or additional diagnoses with accuracy (same chap who pointed out that my throat infection last year was viral, not bacterial). Whilst relatively uninfected (except for the inevitable mycoplasma), Riff-Rat the rat is looking and feeling quite old, barely able to hobble along with his dodgy back legs. Nevertheless, he's still enjoying a spot of sunlight with his old friend Mac the cat.

Last Saturday evening attended two high-rise social gatherings. The first was a modernist monstrosity, being the rooftop opening of Eden On The River, which nevertheless did include some good conversation with local Willsmere friends and some pretty spectacular views of how the old landed money of neighbouring Kew can still have vineyards a mere 4km from the CBD. The second elevated gathering was great surprise party hosted by txxxpxx for usekh. Spent much of the evening chatting with kits_the_dm, a_carnal_mink, and strang_er, along with aforementioned host and honoured person. Joked with host about how their apartment has a balcony longer and wider than a certain house when I lived in North Carlton. The view (pinched from TPs FB) is quite a delight.

On Sunday attended convened the Philosophy Forum and presented with a talk on dialectics. Of the opinion that dialectics has good utility in argmentation analysis, but shouldn't be used in the physical sciences except as a heuristic or post-hoc explanation. Verification and falsification are far superior methods of rational analysis; plus they don't come with the totalitarian political expediency of historicism. As part of the research discovered the detailed site of British Trotskyist who is anti-dialectics, and much more so than myself. In other intellectual adventures, sat the exam for Facilitating Lifelong Learning today, which allowed some notes to be taken in. It was a rather weird assessment method, and I felt somewhat at odds with the course content. Nevertheless, feeling reasonably confident that I've done well.