CHICAGO —Here's what we're reading on this rainy, warm Tuesday.
The Women of "Mad Max": After seeing "Mad Max," DNAinfo's Jen Sabella is loving this NPR story on the film, which she LOVED. No spoilers, but "Mad Max" features older women in roles you don't typically see them in, which is really refreshing. The actresses agreed. In the interview, 78-year-old actress Melissa Jaffer said she was thrilled to play someone other than a dying old lady.
"The roles that one is offered at this age, quite frankly, you're either in a nursing home, you're in a hospital bed dying, you're suffering from dementia, or in fact, in two cases, I was offered two characters who'd actually died and come back to life," she said. "So when this role came along, I thought well, I won't get another chance like this before I die, and that's why I took it. It was absolutely wonderful. Wonderful role."
Lots to think about: Senior editor Andrew Herrmann is reading the Washington Post Wonkblog's look at the scourge of empty lots in big cities. The piece notes the Emanuel administration's efforts to sell lots for $1 in Chicago but focuses mostly on Philadelphia, which has been turning groups of empty properties into parks. Besides boosting the value of neighboring homes, the lots have have also been linked to a significant drop in gun crime. For one, the bad guys can't use them to dump weapons. But turning trash-filled vacant spaces into parks also resulted in less stress in the community. The sight of blight actually boosted residents' heart rates; the sight of the greenery eased it, a study found.
Hindsight is 20/20, Especially When You Get Hit By a Car: Laura Bliss' "What to Do When You're Hit By a Car" in The Atlantic Monthly's CityLab should be required reading for every cyclist and pedestrian, according to DNAinfo's Wicker Park reporter Alisa Hauser, who mainly gets around by bike.
Bliss, who was struck in the hip by a car while crossing the street, said that in the event of a collision, "there are crucial steps pedestrians and cyclists must take to protect themselves, medically, financially and legally."
Cautioning that there were "real consequences" to not knowing the right strategy, Bliss shares tips on how to interact with the driver of the car, the police, the insurance company and if necessary, lawyers. Read her full story.
A driver and cyclist on the scene of a crash in Wicker Park in 2013. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
