Garage Logic — 12/9: "Another Chunk Kicking Ruling Along with a Chunk Kicking Generated Song"

Date: December 9, 2025
Episode: #1676
Host: Joe Soucheray (“The Mayor”)
Co-hosts: Chris Reivers, Kenny Olson, John Hight, John Richelieu, Rookie
Podcast Network: Gamut

Episode Overview

This Garage Logic episode is a winter-season masterclass in Minnesota sensibility, revolving around the increasingly participatory phenomenon of "chunk kicking"—the stomping off of snow and ice accumulations from vehicle wheel wells. The hosts expand on this uniquely northern ritual with audience emails, rulemaking, and even a musical tribute. Interspersed are lively riffs on local news, city government boondoggles, and always, the slightly cranky but loving spirit of Gumption County.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. 1939’s Record December Warmth – Then & Now

• [02:52] Joe opens with historical weather trivia: December 6-9, 1939 saw record highs (up to 63°F), which were greeted at the time by a population "just enjoying it" instead of panicking about climate change.
• There was no "hysteria," just amusement at out-of-season warmth (04:21).
• "People really took life as it came, didn’t they?" — Joe Soucheray [04:21]

2. The Ongoing ‘Chunk Report’ – Tales and Tribulations

• [06:07] - [10:26]
  The show’s listeners are sending in photos, stories, and requests for rulings on proper chunk-kicking etiquette:

a) Listener Emails Highlight the Ritual’s Emotional Range

• Howard: Addiction confessional, but what he kicks turns out to be just snow, not a “true chunk.” He pledges to pray to St. Michael for strength next time. [07:50]
• Sue: Asks about the disappointment when a chunk is too rigid (“fenderite”) to budge—a known hazard of the ritual.

b) Rules and Rulings – Family Chunks & Preemptive Kicks

• Lisa’s Dilemma: Can she kick chunks from her daughter’s car? Joe: “You certainly have my permission. It’s in the family.” [09:25]
• “If I see another one, I’ll pray to St. Michael for strength and courage.” — Howard via Joe Soucheray [07:53]
• TJ (26-foot truck): Waiting 250 more miles before it’s ready—spring can’t come soon enough.

c) Space Management PSA

• Listeners remind everyone: keep wheel wells clear (“space management”) before it all accumulates and makes driving dangerous. [10:03]

d) The Slush Buster: Entrepreneurship & Community

• David Pounds writes in as the inventor of the “Slush Buster,” a tool for chunk removal. He shares the story of how Garage Logic led to local hardware store sales and reflects on Amazon’s punishing fees, suggesting a Garage Logic listener might have a shipping solution. [11:29]
• “Minnesota mud flaps” suggested as a technical term for slush chunks.

3. The Chunk Kicking Song – AI Meets Minnesota Culture

• [13:28–16:17]
  • Jesse Valbrecht submits a country-style ballad, “The Lonesome Ballad of a Stolen Chunk.” The lyrics strike a resonant chord about the heartbreak of finding your prized chunk has already been kicked.
  • The panel debates if the song is Jesse’s craft or AI-generated, noting how AI is disrupting music (with some good-natured critique: “That’s not a good song, but maybe people like you will lap that stuff up.” — Kenny Olson [17:36]).
  • Notable lyric: “Oh, who stole my chunk? My winter joy, my claim, I was riding high, ‘til someone played that game...” — Jesse Valbrecht [13:41–15:41]
  • Suggestion: 48-hour “claim rule”—if a chunk isn’t kicked by the original driver, it’s fair game. [16:32]

4. Local News, Government Waste, and Civic Snark

a) UK 'Gun Photo' Arrest Story — Censorship and ‘The Mystery’

• [25:33–30:34]
  • Joe covers the surreal tale of a British man arrested after posting a photo online holding a gun during a US trip. The group laments the lack of free speech protections in the UK, with Joe declaring, “It really doesn’t [exist]. People are getting locked up for tweets, for memes. It’s embarrassing. It’s George Orwell. It’s 1984. That wasn’t an instruction manual.” [28:18]
  • Kenny signals: “Everything that happens there usually ends up happening here.” [30:37]

b) Minneapolis’ $150K Prince Sing-Along Boondoggle

• [31:00–39:44]
  • The city plans to spend $150,000—via a “consultant”—for the “largest Prince sing-along in the world.”
  • The team rips the city’s process for waste and redundancy, noting the Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs should be able to handle it internally.
  • Kenny: “I’ll do it for 75. I know a concert promoter… I think I can get it all done for 75.” [32:27]
  • Joe: “The consultant will provide project planning and event production services…to support the city of Minneapolis Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Okay, stop right there…Why do they need to hire somebody to do this?” [33:06]

5. Quick Hits, Local Flavor & Banter

• Weather & Ads: Customroasting.net coffee endorsement (Sumatra, Christmas Cookie Blend) [24:26]
• Minneapolis PD Overtime: “Council Member Robin Wansley voiced concern about overspending,” Joe responds: “Wansley, you were a leading voice in demonizing police and many of them have left.” [44:41–44:46]
• Farm Aid: Over $1.3 million raised for family farmers. [46:04]
• Concert News: Rod Stewart (possibly last tour), Goo Goo Dolls, Weird Al. Panel gently roasts the aged-out acts and inflated ticket prices vs. diminished performance. [47:45–49:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Chunk Kicking Addicts:
  “I felt like an addict espying his favorite vice in the warm, extended hand of a friend…” – Howard via Joe Soucheray [07:18]

• On Disappointment:
  “Any comments on the dejection you feel if you kick a big frozen chunk and it’s so hard it doesn’t fall?” – Email from Sue [07:58]

• On AI & Music:
  “Jesse should be the AI music director of GL. Anytime we need some AI phony baloney music…” – Kenny Olson [18:09]

• On Minneapolis & Big Ideas:
  “You mean to tell me Minneapolis has a Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs? Why do they need to hire somebody to do this?” – Joe Soucheray [33:06]

• On Bureaucratic Waste:
  “The people we elect have nothing to do with us. They exist in their own world and spend your money like you’re an ATM.” – Joe Soucheray [36:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:52: Minneapolis’ historic 1939 December warm spell and press reaction
• 06:07–10:26: Introduction and escalation of the “chunk report” segment
• 11:29: Letter from David Pounds, inventor of “Slush Buster”
• 13:28–16:17: Debut and analysis of "The Lonesome Ballad of a Stolen Chunk"
• 25:33–30:34: UK man arrested for gun photo; free speech in UK vs. US
• 31:00–39:44: $150,000 Prince sing-along discussion and city government critique
• 44:41–44:46: Minneapolis Police overtime and staffing news
• 47:45–49:46: Concert news, state fair banter, and the aging of classic rockers

Tone & Style Notes

• Classic Garage Logic: Wry, midwestern self-effacement, side tangents, and community involvement.
• Language is casual, sometimes irreverent with sharp barbs, but always rooted in affection for local quirks.

For Listeners Who Missed It

• This episode is a full course in Minnesota winter culture—chunk kicking as both a practical art and running joke.
• The panel’s blend of personal stories, listener engagement, and local news scrutiny delivers warmth and wit.
• Don’t skip the AI-generated country song about a stolen chunk—a microcosm of how even the smallest rituals get mythologized and debated in Gumption County.
• The episode is bookended with skepticism about government priorities, a love for old hardware stores, and plenty of ribbing about music, news, and nostalgia.

For the full flavor of the show, the chunk report and the Prince sing-along segments are not to be missed!