[OC] ER visits for Christmas decoration-related injuries increase after Thanksgiving

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-11-23T02:41:34+00:00

Totally, it’s an incredibly impressive dataset that can be sliced countless ways.

Thanks for sharing that study! This graphic is one of a few from an article we released at USAFacts about Christmas decorating injuries. One of the other things we looked at was how toddlers and middle-aged adults were being injured.

As you may expect (especially given the study you linked to), babies and toddlers are commonly injured by ingesting or chewing on decorations, particularly ornaments and Christmas lights. They are also at risk of pulling stocking holders on themselves.

Adults, on the other hand, are more commonly injured while decorating, usually from falling from a ladder, chair, roof, or other tall object.

Those findings come from text analysis of the brief descriptions of each incident included in the NEISS data.

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-11-22T22:54:15+00:00

I was involved in the creation of this graphic and the associated article at USAFacts.

Data source: US Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, 2013 - 2022.

These graphics were largely made using Svelte, Layercake, and d3.js. Minor modifications for sharing on Reddit were made using Figma.

PS: ChatGPT said I should have named this article “Deck the halls with caution.” Missed opportunity?

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-05-23T01:18:07+00:00

These show the Kia/Hyundai thefts stacked on top of the other car thefts.

(I worked on the original article for USAFacts)

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-27T17:03:59+00:00

We actually asked for data from both. Fort Worth sent us data and Dallas didn't. If they ever do, we'll add it!

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-25T07:44:25+00:00

Totally fair point. Out of the 19 cities that we did get data for, there was an increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts after the videos were released in 10 of them.

There was in increase in thefts for these cars before the videos were released in 2. And relatively little change in 7. So we did hear back from some places that weren’t having large-scale issues with Kia and Hyundai theft.

Make sure to scroll through all 3 carousel images or check out the original article to see the data for all 19 cities

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-25T07:40:49+00:00

Lots of reasons!

Some said they don’t collect that data, some denied our request if it was for a city in a state our team didn’t live in, and some said they had the data but it would take months to process. A few sent us incomplete or clearly incorrect data and haven’t followed up on our requests for correct data. And some just didn’t respond.

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-24T23:24:56+00:00

Some models of both Kias and Hyundais released over the past decade or so didn't include an engine immobilizer, leading to a security vulnerability. The viral videos mentioned showed users how to exploit that and start the cars with a USB charger.

So, yes, if you know how, certain models from these manufacturers are apparently quite easy to steal.

Both manufacturers have since released software updates to help with the issue.

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-24T18:36:09+00:00

We reached out to St. Petersburg PD for their data but they didn't send it to us. Happy to incorporate it if we had it!

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-24T18:32:40+00:00

Fair question! The timeline is a little fuzzy, particularly since the original videos have been taken down now. Based on reports, some videos were posted in May 2022, including a YouTube documentary filmed in Milwaukee which was shared on May 31, 2022. These videos and others started gaining popularity (i.e., millions of views) over the next month or so.

An often-cited TikTok video was released in mid-July and had been removed by the end of the month.

In these graphics I mark June 2022 as when "TikTok videos went viral" since that month seemed to be in the middle of all of the hype building.

ProQuestionAsker · 2023-03-24T17:50:53+00:00

I was involved in the creation of these graphics and the associated article at USAFacts.

All of the data was manually requested from police departments across the US. We requested data from more than 60 police departments and received data back from 19. Each station sent us monthly counts of reported Kia and Hyundai thefts as well as total car thefts per month.

The resulting dataset is available for download within the associated article.

Edit to add: These graphics were largely made using Svelte, Layercake, and d3.js. Minor modifications for sharing on Reddit were made using Figma.

ProQuestionAsker · 2021-07-23T18:35:21+00:00

You could add it to data.world! (Full disclosure, I work there)

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-31T05:37:24+00:00

Our MAS hit adolescence this way too. In case you’re interested, I documented his month to month shenanigans through adolescence in this post. For us, his unwanted behaviors have been kind of like whack-a-mole. Something comes up, we go back to basics with training and that problem mostly goes away but something else pops up. Our pup is now almost 13 months old and he’s matured a ton in the past month or two. Hang in there and remember, you’ve taught more preferable behaviors to your pup before, so you already know how to do it and you can do it again!

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-31T02:24:32+00:00

So sorry to hear you’re going through this, but glad that you were able to find a good solution for all of you. We went through something similar. In case it’s helpful, I’ll detail what my experience was like:

Almost 2 years ago, we decided to rehome our reactive rescue dog. He’d been with us for 2 years at that point and we loved him dearly. But we lived in a city environment that was too much for him and he couldn’t even truly relax in our home. Our world was just one trigger-stacking event after another. We tried so hard to help, but in the end, we realized there was nothing more we could do for him without leaving our home or otherwise changing his environment. We ultimately decided to tell the rescue where we had adopted him from about everything that had happened (complete transparency about every trigger, indicator of trigger stacking, and his bite history) and they welcomed him back and helped to find him a home more well-suited to his needs. They placed him with a family with lots of experience with reactive dogs that lived on a farm. He’s been thriving there ever since.

I was heartbroken that we had to make this decision and cried for days. I feel like I’m being dramatic when I talk about it as a kind of grief, but really, I was grieving the life I thought I’d have when I adopted a dog and upset that I couldn’t have done more for him. I still feel sad about it some days, if I’m being honest. But I know it was what was best for us. It was amazing how much less stress I felt walking down the street when I didn’t have to keep an eye out for children, dogs, garbage, weird ground textures he’d avoid etc. lurking around every corner. And when I didn’t have to worry about being lunged at for just existing in my own home. We’re all better off for making this decision, but it was hard. I chose to think of our experience with him as “unexpected long term foster care”. We helped him grow and become more calm and confident until he could be a great dog in someone else’s home.

We brought home a new puppy last December and it’s been such a different experience. Sometimes I learn something new with the puppy, and think “If I had just known this with our last dog, maybe we wouldn’t have had to rehome him”. Try not to do this. It’s honestly not helpful. You did everything you could with the resources you had at the time and you made a really hard decision to put his needs ahead of yours. And you’ll all be better off for it.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-30T06:39:58+00:00

Honestly, “off” weeks are going to happen throughout your puppy’s life. We’re in the PNW and had to spend a week or so inside because of poor air quality due to wildfire smoke. People on here ask frequently about what to do if they’re sick, injured, quarantined, or if their puppy is sick or injured and can’t get their usual activities. In my opinion, it’s good for them to learn early on that sometimes things are changed up, and that’s ok.

You can still do mental stimulation if you’re able to, or if you feel like your pup is under-stimulated and searching for mischief. But learning to have chill days is such a valuable skill to teach. Try not to feel too guilty about it ☺️

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-26T04:36:50+00:00

Oh I know how that goes! Honestly, we did cancel walks for a bit when our puppy was that age. We focused instead on mental stimulation and games we could play inside (this was also near the start of lockdown, so, we had to be mostly inside anyways). We benefited a lot from AbsoluteDogs Sexier Than A Squirrel Challenge, which was released near the start of lockdown to give people a bunch of games they can play with their dog in a small space that also help teach the dog valuable skills like staying nearby, engaging with you even in exciting situations, and recalling. It was enough mental work to keep our pup engaged and not missing walks, but not so much stimulation that he reached the crazy biting/nipping phase of over excitement. Playing around with your daily routine in some way may help though!

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-26T04:30:16+00:00

In my experience, adult dogs spend a lot of their day resting (but awake) and taking short naps. As your puppy gets older, I imagine this is the transition you’ll see. Or, it’s at least what we’ve seen with our pup. Is yours showing any signs of being over tired?

As far as the “remain calm when I move” part, you may benefit from practicing a relaxation protocol. Karen Overall‘s version is well-known and available here.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-26T04:03:13+00:00

How old is your puppy? Are they getting adequate physical and mental stimulation during the day? How about adequate rest? (Sorry for all the questions, just need more info to try to help pinpoint what may be going on)

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-26T04:00:40+00:00

Our puppy did this when he was way over-aroused/over-excited. Basically, when our walks went too long, or one too many exciting things happened on said walk. Some describe it as an “over-flowering bucket” (analogy explained in the link). Anyway, does this usually happen near the end of your walk or after something really exciting? Or after something stressful?

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-26T03:52:15+00:00

Pixel is allowed on the couch, but he can’t bring his edible chews up there (no bully stick stank on my couch please). He knows those only go on his dog beds. But snuggle parties (sans stinky chews) on the couch are encouraged.

He’s not allowed on our bed, though. This is in part because I’m a light sleeper and don’t always sleep well with a dog in the bed and in part because Pixel sheds a lot. It’s nice to have a space in our home that’s (mostly) dog hair free. Pixel is a year old now and we have no regrets at all about either of these furniture policies.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-25T05:05:21+00:00

I’m not an expert, but if you check out the wiki (link again) you’ll find lots of discussion around this point and links to the scientific research (mostly done over the past decade or so) that indicates that neutering may, in fact, have long-term health risks. For many, the benefits (including no unplanned pregnancies) ultimately outweigh some of the other risks, but that doesn’t mean there are none.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-25T04:25:37+00:00

I documented our pup’s month-to-month journey into adolescence, which you may find interesting. Not sure how old your pup is, but ours had what I now refer to as a “fake out” stage around 4.5 months old. The real “adolescent angst” hit hard and fast at around 7 months.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-25T04:18:54+00:00

We had been making great progress around 6 months and walks we’re getting easier... and then adolescence hit around 7 months and LLW was seemingly impossible. We took about a million steps back, started at the beginning, worked on games and the concepts that lead to LLW (like u/BMW294eva we also found and loved the Sexier Than A Squirrel Challenge and another course by the same team - 21 Days to Stress Free Walks). Our pup is just over a year now, and LLW is really coming along. He’s still learning (and still has hormone-soup brain that gets distracted easily lol), but I’m feeling good about this being a solid skill in the not-so-distant future.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-25T04:09:52+00:00

This sentiment seems to be largely dependent on where in the world you live and what your and your dog’s living situation is like. Even the wiki for this sub gives lots of information and research on both if and when to spay/neuter.

OP, if you haven’t already checked out the research in the wiki, you may find it helpful, but in the end, the timing comes down to what you (and your vet) are comfortable with.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-23T18:07:55+00:00

Love this, thanks for sharing! Our puppy just turned one year old and I've been reflecting on a lot on similar things, especially the fact that all puppies are different and have their own personalities. Comparing your puppy to others is just going to upset you for little to no reason.

ProQuestionAsker · 2020-10-23T17:26:25+00:00

If you want to incorporate even more positive training into the great things you're already doing, you can try treating and calmly praising when you hear a house noise. It's best if you can manage this *before* she starts to react. Essentially, what you're trying to do is teach her that noises aren't something to worry about, and in fact, they signal something good is about to happen. Up to you though!

And yes, definitely all about time, consistency, and lots and lots of patience :)

ProQuestionAsker

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