How Fitness Affects Your Safety, A Pretzel Worth Millions, and More

Thursday, March 5th, 2026

Good morning! Welcome to The Tradesman, a 5-minute newsletter tailored just for America’s tradesmen.

Get this: Our favorite classic rock tune here at The Tradesman is Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, but on the list of the Top 25 Best of all time, it’s only ranked 9. 

We think No. 10 should really be No. 2, and No. 2 should absolutely be No. 1. And you know what? We’re sure you’ll agree we’re right.

It’s called “Thursday at 3:30,” the point at which your body says, “Friday is coming… Thank God!”

Let’s face it, the physical demands of trade work are a real pain in the back, as the job requires you to rely heavily on your body. It’s important to stay in shape.

At the same time, the labor shortage has created a safety crisis on job sites, with 83% of construction workers citing inexperienced colleagues as their greatest concern. For many tradesmen, the irony is that the hands-on craft they signed up for is the easy part; it is everything else that wears them down.

The key to surviving on the job? Watch out and stay fit.

When hunting with a friend, the best approach is to settle who shoots first before the hunt even begins, using methods like a coin flip or alternating days to keep things fair.

A popular "spotter shoots" rule gives first right of refusal to whoever spots the animal first, rewarding the sharpest eyes in the field.

If one hunter is less experienced, it's common courtesy to let them have the first opportunity; a gesture that goes a long way in building a good hunting partnership.

Men order pizza like they're preparing for battle, maximum dough, maximum meat, maximum regret at 2 a.m. The top-ranked deep dish is here, and it’s the best by far!

On the other hand, women treat pizza night like a farmers’ market with a dress code, swapping crust for cauliflower and pepperoni for "roasted seasonal vegetables."

For the best thin crust, you have to trust this guy. As for the best thin-crust pizza in the Midwest, No. 4 is in Ohio and not far away.

Your chances of being flattened by a meteorite are 1 in 1,600,000. This sounds terrible until you realize that's 20x better odds than winning Mega Millions.

The universe is basically trying to give you something unless you are looking for pretzels in South Carolina. 

In early February, a South Carolina man stopped at a Sunoco Food Mart to satisfy a pretzel craving and walked out $200,000 richer after purchasing a $5 lottery ticket. Turns out the real salty snack was the jackpot he picked up along the way. (Read More)

Do you know anyone involved in Operation Epic Fury against Iran?