iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Ruins along the banks of Liberty Reservoir.

Remnants of a building foundation, poking out of the waters of Liberty Reservoir.

An abandoned set of stairs, jutting out of the banks of Liberty Reservoir (at a jaunty angle). A pretty woman stands at the top of the stairs, arms outstretched. Her shirt says "Moist".

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

As influenced by: 21 years in Baltimore, 8 in DC, a childhood in south central PA, and a partner who grew up in Jersey.

Dialect map! Says I talk like I'm from Jersey, but most like folks from Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. I'm not Jersey at all, but I have lived in Baltimore for 21 years, and DC for 8 (and I'm from South Central PA for the Philly influence).

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Muxx and Nokx: A Graffiti Love Story Part 3 of 3. "Gayly"

Graffiti. "Muxx got new tools" in black
"And Nokx chipped in" in white
"but gayly" in white

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Muxx and Nokx: A Graffiti Love Story Part 2 of 3. "Allegedly"

Graffiti. The tag "NOKX" in bright yellow/blue gradient and again in bold red.
Beside it, the words "is allegedly homosexual" scrawled in black.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Muxx and Nokx: A Graffiti Love Story Part 1 of 3. "Probably"

Graffiti. The tag "MUXX" in bright yellow.
The words "is gay probably" scrawled beneath in black.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Any time I'm in a Trader Joe's (which isn't often) I look for these. I rarely find them. If a Joe's inside Baltimore has them, my sodium consumption could rise to an unacceptable level.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Ballot cast! Maryland early voting runs through Thursday!

A smiling woman with curly hair wearing an "I Voted" sticker.
Her t-shirt says YOU DON'T HATE MONDAYS YOU HATE CAPITALISM

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

This story recently was honored with a First Place Award for Outstanding Public Affairs by the Chesapeake AP.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Another bike ride to PA! 46 miles this time!

Map of NCR trail, flanked by pictures of a woman as she bikes it.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Baltimore friends! The market has begun! Pop over to 4500 Harford Road until 7:30 tonight for food, music, friendship, and more! 🥰 I'm spinning some silly songs! And there's gon be a choir!

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

NPR going in on rainbow capitalism!

national public gaydio t-shirt
Who came up with this merchandising plan at 4:59pm on May 31?

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

It's carp spawning season! Travel to the shallow end of Baltimore's reservoirs* at this time of year, and if you're lucky, you'll spot some beautiful brown-orange fish getting it on. Some years, I'm not lucky enough to see it! But this is my lucky year! * This is at Liberty.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

I'd have chugged these daily when I was on spiro. Iykyk.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

21 miles of the NCR Trail from Cockeysville up to New Freedom PA. 42 miles round trip!

A map depicting a 42 mile bike ride. Pictures of our intrepid traveler flank the route, counterclockwise from the bottom, showing her increasing exhaustion.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Took a bike ride to Baltimore's Fort McHenry to see the cherry trees!

Five flowering cherry trees line a curving path along the banks of Baltimore's harbor.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Went out hiking around Prettyboy Reservoir. Water levels are so low I was able to wander places normally underwater!

A smiling woman with curly hair stands before a body of water.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

What a time to get back in the game!

A smiling woman holding several MTG cards, with several more cards arranged in front of her. She is playing a mono blue deck because she likes being irritating more than she likes winning.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Poetry found under a bridge. (It's "I Will Not Die an Unlived Life" by Dawna Markova.)

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch,a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

One day after we were informed our show was being canceled, Sheilah and I got to attend the Best of Baltimore event (she won best radio host, I was a runner up for best radio personality). It was such a bittersweet celebration.

Two smiling women standing in front of an Aperol sign. The woman on the left holds a white rose in her mouth.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Was watching The Muppet Christmas Carol and began laughing at "CIS HOLLYWOOD" in the credits. I mean, the Muppets can't all be cis... can they?

Movie credits, reading:
CIS HOLLYWOOD
Composite Image Systems, Los Angeles
Etc

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Lesbian graffiti, North Point State Park.

A graffiti covered wall. The words "I LOVE LESBIANS" are painted in yellow with black borders.

A graffiti covered wall. The words "LESBIAN LOVE FOREVER" are painted in yellow with black borders.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Ira Glass & David Simon on stage!

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

A gathering of radio hosts! Me, Ira Glass, and Sheilah Kast!

Three smiling radio hosts! Ira Glass of "This American Life", flanked by Ashley Sterner and Sheilah Kast of "On The Record".

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

The hike to where Dykes Creek meets Prettyboy Reservoir.

A map depicting Dykes Creek emptying into Prettyboy Reservoir.

A pretty lady with curly hair standing on the banks of a body of water. Her purple shirt says "I'm very sorry to hear that the direct and predictable results of your actions happened to you."

Rocks in the foreground, a reservoir in the background. Blue sky above.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Is it even legal in two-party consent states (Maryland & a dozen or so others)? Probably not, but that's on you.

"The Friend certainly made me some enemies. One of the Anthropic researchers in attendance accused me of wearing a wire. (Fair.) A friend of mine asked if wearing the pendant was legal. (The device’s privacy policy says the user is responsible for obeying their local surveillance laws.) One attendee who works at a Big Tech company, holding a bottle of wine he had finished throughout the night, joked they should kill me for wearing a listening device. (Not funny.) I yanked the pendant off and stuffed it in my purse."

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Nine years ago today, I took one of the best pictures of my life.

A stormy sky over a wet road and stretch of homes. At the left, lightning is striking. At the right, there's a rainbow.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Last night, Sheilah Kast and I went to the Baltimore Magazine's "Best of Baltimore" soiree... Sheilah having been named Best Radio Host, me as runner-up for Best Radio Personality in the reader's poll.

A selfie of two smiling women in a crowded room. The woman on the left has reddish hair, and a black and yellow patterned dress. The woman on the right sports a pale blue blouse and scarf, and is wearing a "Best Of Baltimore" button.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Baku and Mishi listened! But I'm not sure how much they were actually paying attention.

Two black-and-white cats, snuggled together on a black sofa. The cat on the left is listening intently to the radio. The cat on the right looks bored, and is perhaps plotting mischief.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

On the radio this morning: spotted lanternflies! 6 years ago, state officials urged folks to squish them on sight. NOT ANYMORE! To find out why, tune in to WYPR at around 9:45!

Two women hold a clear plastic container full of spotted lanternflies. Both women's faces are full of delight.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

What was happening at WYPR... before it was WYPR? Decades before broadcast radio was even a thing, our Baltimore address was the home of SUNNYSIDE: "A PRIVATE HOME for the treatment of DISEASES OF WOMEN." What did that mean? It's unclear.

Newspaper ad with the following text:
SUNNYSIDE,
No, 2216 CHARLES-STREET AVENUE, BALTIMORE, MD.
A PRIVATE HOME for the treatment of DISEASES OF WOMEN. Located in one of the most desirable parts of the city, Private rooms and trained nurses. Address for terms of board, &c., J. H. SCARFF, M. D., Cor. Charles and Centre Streets, Oct. 15.-6m.
BALTIMORE, MD.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Earlier today I suggested that my gf name her Otocinclus Catfish "Otto Gynophillia"!

Text message:
I would ALMOST suggest Otto Gynophillia... but I'm not sure about that one.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Guess who was a runner up for "Best Radio Personality" in Baltimore Magazine's Readers Poll?

Two fingers pointing at two categories in Baltimore Magazine's "Best of Baltimore" Readers Poll.
The first category: RADIO PERSONALITIES.
WINNER: KRAMER AND JESS (MIX 106.5)
Finalists: Justin, Scott, and Spiegel (98 Rock); Ashley Sterner (WYPR)
The second category: RADIO STATION
WINNER: 89.7 WTMD
Finalists: 88.1 WYPR; 98 Rock

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Did you know that some snakes have claws? I DID NOT! But yesterday, I met a couple snakes while recording a segment for Friday's radio show. World Snake Day is Sunday at Irvine Nature Center! I can't wait to share this story with you!

A woman in a black and tan dress holding a large black and tan boa constrictor, standing beside a woman in a yellow Irvine Nature Center t-shirt. Both women appear delighted. The snake might be happy too; hard to tell, with snakes.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Went to Liberty Reservoir today. So many signs saying "no swimming" (I have always wanted to, but I'm a good girl and I do as I'm told). But at one place there were a lot of police and apparently someone went swimming there yesterday and disappeared. Reasons to do as I'm told

A smiling woman with glasses and short-ish curly hair standing in front of a large body of water. She wears a shirt that says "Fuck the Patriarchy".

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

This was at work, btw. Over the last 2 decades in this job, I have become INCREDIBLY accustomed to seeing people pee here.

Facebook post from one year ago, with the words:
TRAFFIC REPORT: I had to pause while driving to work because there were two guys peeing in the alley where my job's parking lot is. They chose opposite sides of the alley to pee. One guy left a paper shopping bag in the middle of the alley, and I watched the pee stream from the other guy roll closer and closer to the bag. Luckily the first guy finished his pee and grabbed the bag before it got wet... and then they moved on and I was able to get to work but before working I had to recount this incident FOR YOU.
There is also a crude diagram of two people peeing on opposite sides of the street.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Back on the radio - LIVE! It's our one-day end-of-fiscal-year pledge drive at WYPR. Your gift helps us fortify the future of public radio in Baltimore... and bring you information you can trust about the news that matters. If you can give? Please do. Baltimore Public Media is counting on you!

A curly-haired woman in a black dress sits in front of a radio microphone. Her smiling mouth is open wide, as she urges listeners to support public broadcasting.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

I dreamed I was in NZ, doing an undersea adventure film with Sam Neill. They compensated me with a giant bag of edibles. To get them back to the states, I bought a stuffed penguin & put them inside it. I later realized the penguin was alive. Here is a song about that dream, from the penguin's view.

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

It's carp spawning season in Prettyboy Reservoir! Enjoy the fish erotica!

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

She also gave me some cool stickers!

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Ashley Sterner @offairashley.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Went on a lovely hike at Soldiers Delight today! It was so weird! Fellow hikers seemed to know something about me? They kept stopping me to tell me that they "knew". One told me she'd keep it secret. I wonder what that was about?

A woman with curly red hair standing on a rocky hill, with pine trees and light grasses in the background. She wears a blue shirt with the words "NOBODY KNOWS I'M A LESBIAN".

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