You may remember that a while ago, I finally learned how to play music! I was using flowkey to learn how to play piano, but after using it for a while, I’ve decided to use YouTube tutorials instead. And, I did go back to using the Duolingo music course again. Between the tutorials and the Duolingo course, I feel like I’m really starting to understand music! Who knows, maybe before 2026 is over, I’ll release a song!
Author: Melodía J. Parker
-
Yes, I did drop two future books.
If you thought that the Books page looked a little shorter, then you are correct. I decided not to write two books.
One of the books was an erotica short story collection (Naughty Stories to Tell After Dark). It was a collection of true stories that were about my introduction to BDSM. I am no longer willing to write about it.
The main plot of the second book (The Institution for the Sexually Deviant) will be included in another book, Tales From a Conservative Christian Society. These two books are closely related, so it doesn’t make sense to have them as separate books.
-
I will be getting more degrees after all!
I currently have four college degrees: 2 Associate of Applied Sciences (Business Management and Computer Information Systems), 1 Bachelor of Science (Anthropology & Sociology, concentration in Anthropology, minor in History), and 1 Master of Science (Human Relations & Business). I recently returned to school to get my Accounting certificate so I can get the education I need to take the CPA exam in 2028.
I didn’t think I would get any more degrees. I figured that I would get my Accounting certificate and that would be it. Well, I was wrong! I am now going to be pursuing ANOTHER AAS and ANOTHER BS. I might even go for a second MS. Will I finally get my PhD? Who knows!
Since I want to get into forensic accounting, I started thinking about how a forensic education would greatly benefit me. I saw a degree program that is perfect for this: the AAS in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics concentration. Even better, this degree transfers directly to Stevenson University’s BS in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics. And, should I go for that second MS, Stevenson has several MS programs in forensics to choose from! One of these programs is Forensic Accounting!
I will begin taking the classes required for the AAS next year, as I’m finishing the requirements for the Accounting certificate. I want to be the most prepared forensic accountant! Between getting my CPA and going for the MCFE (Magnet Certified Forensic Examiner), I think I have finally found my (final) career!
-
My CPA journey, so far.
As many of you know, I returned to school in March 2025 for one final career. I decided that I would become a forensic accountant. I am currently enrolled in a special certificate program that is only for students who already have a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) NOT in accounting and need the accounting classes to take the CPA exam.
I have been doing very well so far! I’ve taken Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Business and Professional Ethics, Intermediate Accounting 1, Intermediate Accounting 2, Principles of Marketing, and Business Law 2. As the summer semester has just finished, I only have five classes left for my certificate!
Next semester, in the fall semester, I am enrolled in Tax Accounting and Auditing, and then I’m down to the last three classes for my certificate! I’m planning on taking Advanced Tax Accounting in spring 2027, Small Business Accounting in summer 2027, and then Advanced Accounting in fall 2027. Then, in 2028, I will start taking the sections of the CPA exam!
This has been a very fascinating journey so far. And I’m not even close to being finished yet!
-
Reminder: commenting is disabled on my site.
I have never allowed commenting on my site. Commenting is disabled on my site. I will not reconsider this policy. So, if you think that you can keep “hitting” what you think is the “comment page,” then you are sadly mistaken. If you really want to “say” something to me, you are more than welcome to use my contact page to do so.
-
Current progress on “A Collection of Nightmares.”
So, I’m currently working on A Collection of Nightmares, my horror short story collection.
There’s a total of 20 stories. I’m completely finished with 7 and just have 13 to finish. With some luck, I plan on getting it out before the year is over. I know this collection should’ve been out long ago, but I guess better late than never.
-
Leaving TikTok.
I will no longer be using TikTok. I wasn’t super active on there to begin with, but the final straw was when they muted the audio of my book trailer for Us Against Them. The audio was copyright-free and royalty-free. I couldn’t even appeal it. So, I don’t need TikTok.
-
Finally, my long-overdue novel “Us Against Them” is available!
Us Against Them, the novel that I have been writing since November 2016, is now finally available! Right now, it is available only in the Kindle version (purchase here); the paperback and hardcover versions will be coming very soon! It will also be available at other retailers very soon!
I can’t believe this book is finally finished! It is over 150,000 words. There’s a lot going on in here. I know it’s not for everyone. It’s a tough read. But if you like very disturbing novels, then this book is for you!
-
I’m also learning how to draw!
2026 really will be the year that I learn how to do things I’ve always wanted to do! In April 2026, I learned how to play chess. In June 2026, I learned how to play piano. Now, in late June 2026, I’m learning how to draw!
I’m learning how to draw with Simply Draw. Once I get the basics down, I’ll use more resources. I’ve always wanted to learn how to draw, but I’ve always failed spectacularly at it! Even after a few lessons, I’m still not any good at drawing, but I know this will take time. Even though I’m disappointed in how badly my first drawings look, I know that if I keep practicing, I’ll improve. I won’t give up, like I did so many times before this!
-
If you’re running for office, don’t be an idiot.
I can’t believe I have to say this, it should be a given, but some people insist on being idiots: if you’re running for an office (any office), then don’t be an idiot. Ethan Wechtaluk (EthanForMD on social media) is one who decided to be an idiot. Let me tell you the sad tale of Ethan Wechtaluk.
He didn’t have much of a chance anyway, as he was running in the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 6th congressional district. Though I’m not in District 6, I was well aware that the top two candidates there are April McClain Delaney and David Trone. It was really a toss-up as to who would win the primary since both are very visible candidates. At the time of this posting, Delaney is the projected winner. District 6 really could’ve gone either way to her or to Trone.
However, a man named Ethan Wechtaluk really thought he could win the race. He prides himself on being a “Democratic Socialist,” but he’s no Mayor Zohran Mamdani! He latched onto talking points that are popular on social media, thinking this would make him “stand out” in the District 6 race. However, a false story about our governor, Wes Moore, had come out from the disinformation and misinformation bots. Ethan Wechtaluk decided that he would now latch himself onto this, since it was a hot topic for a short while before Governor Moore and others shut it down.
Wechtaluk proudly posted his bad take on Threads, where he was rightfully called out by several people for posting lies about Governor Moore. I was one of the people who called him out. Instead of realizing he was wrong and apologizing, he doubled down on his stupidity and blocked everyone who called him out (and, yes, I was one of them). Since Wechtaluk decided to be an idiot, I decided that I would watch the District 6 race to see him get humiliated. And, yes, he lost badly!
These are the results, at the time of this posting. I highlighted the loser in yellow.
He didn’t even make it in the top three! This is what happens when you’re an idiot. He might have been able to fool 2,256 people, but that was all. I hope Wechtaluk learned something from this. He probably didn’t, but he certainly got humbled in the primary! He really thought he could beat Delaney or Trone! He couldn’t even get past Alexis Goldstein!
Ethan Wechtaluk, this is what you get for being an idiot! Now, go try working on not being an idiot, so maybe you’ll have a better chance of at least being number three (since you’ll never be one or two) the next time you want to play politics.
-
I am finally learning how to play music.
My parents gave me a musical name. So, you’d think that I had music lessons as a child, especially since my name is Melodía. I didn’t. I desperately wanted to learn how to play piano, but my parents never signed me up for music or piano lessons. The only “music education” I ever got was in elementary school, where I (badly) played songs on the recorder in “Music” class. I did join Chorus at the second elementary school I attended. However, I still didn’t get any music lessons. Later, I was the lead singer of two bands, one in high school and the other in college. After my second band split up, I decided I would try to become a female Trent Reznor and I would record my own music.
It was 2002 when I decided to walk into the local musical shop. I looked at the keyboards, not really sure which one I wanted. I looked at several Yamaha keyboards, but they were all so very expensive! I finally decided to ask an employee. I told him I wanted to be Trent Reznor, but on a budget. I also told him I didn’t know how to play music and I was hoping that the keyboard would be designed for beginners. He took me to the Casio CTK-558. He told me that even though it was marketed as a keyboard, it was also a synthesizer. He told me it was for beginners and that I could learn how to play on it. He also showed me the MIDI ports and told me I could connect it to my computer to record music. I was sold! Not only was the Casio CTK-558 cheaper than all the Yamaha keyboards I was looking at, but I also got a nice discount because I bought the floor model. Awesome! Being a floor model, it does have a couple of dings under the keyboard, but I’ll never see those. I was just happy to get a nice keyboard/synthesizer for a very low price!
Well, sadly, I only got to use the Casio a few times before I got super busy at work. My poor Casio sat there in the corner for years, waiting for me to finally use it. I moved quite a few times since 2002 and my Casio came with me on every move. Even though I hadn’t been using it, I wasn’t going to give up on it. I just knew one day that I would finally play it.
That day came on June 1, 2026! I saw that Duolingo had a music course and I decided to give it a try. It wasn’t as good as I hoped, but it made me realize that my dream of learning how to play piano and create my own music is still possible! I dumped Duolingo and tried flowkey instead. I love it! My ancient Casio keyboard works flawlessly with flowkey! I’m almost finished with the very first course for beginners. I can’t believe that in just a few days, I learned how to play 5 songs! I was musically illiterate before this, and now I can read and understand sheet music! I like to do the drills, exercises, and warmups to keep the notes and finger placements fresh in my mind.
As I start to get more comfortable playing music, I think I will start adding music to my Twitch livestreams. Also, I downloaded Sonar by BandLab so that I can finally do the thing I set out to do in 2002: record music on my computer! And, yes, my computer (and Sonar) works flawlessly with my ancient Casio keyboard! I even recorded a test loop that I created myself on the Casio. I’ll hang on to it, since it’s my very first one. You never know, I might actually use it someday.
Finally, I am doing what my name says I do. Music! Not just listening to it, but also playing and creating it!
-
An update on my chess progress.
If you’ve been keeping up with my chess progress, then you’ll know that I only started playing chess very recently and that I started on chess.com. On chess.com, I played my very first game to a draw. After a while, I left chess.com and moved on to Lichess. Then, I discovered chess on Duolingo and started playing games on Duolingo (and even winning games there).
Well, I’ve decided to leave Duolingo and just stick with Lichess. Duolingo was fun, but the games on there weren’t really challenging. I won every game I played, and I think it was because chess on Duolingo is probably geared toward more casual players who maybe play a chess game here and there, but are not interested in learning more. I’m not trying to be in a tournament or anything like that; I just want to get a good challenge.
After I’ve done some more training and practice on Lichess, I’ll start playing games with other players. Duolingo was just a bit too casual for me. Lichess, along with YouTube videos, is probably all I really need for my chess practice. I’ll be sure to post more as I start getting deeper into chess.
-
It is the Kennedy Center forever, no matter what Drumpf tries to do!
I was “live Threading” all day on June 12, 2026, and into the early hours of June 13, 2026 (here, here, and here). On June 12, 2026, the illegal graffiti and vandalism on the Kennedy Center were to be removed by midnight, as per the final court order. I stayed with the live feeds for about 14 hours. I, along with millions of others, wanted to see that disgusting graffiti finally removed from the Kennedy Center.
I had a feeling they were going to violate the court order. By 12 pm on June 12, 2026, they were nowhere close to finishing the scaffolding. It was clear what was going to happen as the workers kept taking long breaks. Then a pop-up storm came, and they were gone for several hours.
By the time the deadline hit, midnight, they were STILL working on the scaffolding. Just how high does this scaffold need to be? Then, the tarps came down. The moment we had all been waiting for and tarps were deployed so that we could not see it. This was done on purpose. Drumpf threw a big tantrum when he was told his graffiti had to come off the Kennedy Center. He waited until the last possible moment to do this, remember the judge gave him TWO weeks to remove it, and he still chose to have it done at the very last minute. Then, to add insult to injury, the tarps were put up so that we could not see the removal.
Drumpf was hoping that no one would see his name being removed. His name should have NEVER been put up there in the first place! As the judge correctly said in his order, the Kennedy Center is a living memorial to beloved President John F. Kennedy. Only Congress can change the name of the Kennedy Center. And because it is a memorial, Congress won’t change it. Despite the number of idiotic Drumpfers in Congress, there are more people with functioning brains in Congress who will not allow the Kennedy Center to be renamed.
Now, just think about how Drumpf’s name was added to the building. They used a scissor lift truck and quite possibly caused irreparable harm to the building in the process. They didn’t care about the damage they were causing when they put the dictator’s name up. Then, when it is ordered that his name be removed, now he wants to use a big scaffold and tarp. It’s obvious that he’s angry that he was told NO for the first time in his pathetic life.
I see people trying to defend the emotional support tarp by claiming it’s needed to fix the damage Drumpf did. I don’t believe that for one second. Drumpf likes destroying things, and he absolutely loves to see the aftermath of his destruction. Look what he did to the East Wing. He made sure he rubbed that in our faces. So, no, the emotional support tarp is because he can’t handle being told NO, and now he will make all of us suffer because he’s a big toddler.
The emotional support tarp can’t stay up forever. It WILL come down. The Kennedy Center will FOREVER and ALWAYS be the Kennedy Center, no matter what Drumpf tries to do.
-
Some recent chess wins.
I’ve been playing (and winning!) some more games on Duolingo. Yes, I know, winning chess games on Duolingo doesn’t really count. But, for me, a person who only picked up chess very recently, every win counts for me! My current ELO on Duolingo is 401, which doesn’t mean anything, I know, but it’s a big deal for me!
-
Winning my first chess game.
You may have remembered that the first time I played a chess game, it was a draw by repetition. Well, since I’ve left chess.com (that is where I played my first chess game), I’ve been using Lichess. However, I just recently discovered that Duolingo also has chess, so I decided to do some lessons on there and then try a game over there. It was a success!
This is my second chess game I’ve ever played. I managed to win! Unfortunately, Duolingo doesn’t have that nice game animation like chess.com or Lichess has after you play a game, so I could only get a screenshot of when I won.
Yes, I know how problematic Duolingo can be. Yes, I’m aware that this might not be a “real” win because it was on Duolingo. But, for me, it is a win. I will take a win, on any platform! I’ve only been learning chess for a month, and this is only my second game. It’s going to take (a long) time before I’m good enough to play rated players on Lichess.
