

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 14, 2025 • 30min
CZM Book Club: Hermetica, by Alan Lea, Part Seven
 Margaret brings you the conclusion of the tale of Hermetica.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Sep 10, 2025 • 55min
Part Two: Pirate Radio: From International Waters to Squatted Apartment Buildings
 Margaret continues her talk with Bursts about the surprising history of pirate radio and the three way fight for control of the airwaves. Sources: https://files.libcom.org/files/radio-is-my-bomb-part-1.pdf https://files.libcom.org/files/radio-is-my-bomb-part-2.pdf https://files.libcom.org/files/Radio%20Alice.pdf https://autonomies.org/2023/02/italy-autonomia-5/ https://autonomies.org/2023/02/italy-autonomia-5/ https://www.thejournal.ie/ronan-orahilly-radio-caroline-death-5079760-Apr2020/ https://web.archive.org/web/20100524063428/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7053070.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20071018203739/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/09/27/bvradio127.xml&page=1 https://web.archive.org/web/20110719070410/http://www.offshoreradio.de/fleet/shivering.htm https://www.bobleroi.co.uk/ScrapBook/SutchCityPics1/SutchCityPics1.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Sep 8, 2025 • 47min
Part One: Pirate Radio: From International Waters to Squatted Apartment Buildings
 Margaret talks with Bursts about the surprising history of pirate radio and the three way fight for control of the airwaves.  Sources: https://files.libcom.org/files/radio-is-my-bomb-part-1.pdf https://files.libcom.org/files/radio-is-my-bomb-part-2.pdf https://files.libcom.org/files/Radio%20Alice.pdf https://autonomies.org/2023/02/italy-autonomia-5/ https://autonomies.org/2023/02/italy-autonomia-5/ https://www.thejournal.ie/ronan-orahilly-radio-caroline-death-5079760-Apr2020/ https://web.archive.org/web/20100524063428/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7053070.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20071018203739/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/09/27/bvradio127.xml&page=1 https://web.archive.org/web/20110719070410/http://www.offshoreradio.de/fleet/shivering.htm https://www.bobleroi.co.uk/ScrapBook/SutchCityPics1/SutchCityPics1.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Sep 7, 2025 • 36min
CZM Book Club: Hermetica, by Alan Lea, Part Six
 Margaret continues with tale of Hermetica, the generation ship.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Sep 3, 2025 • 43min
Part Two: The Surprising Stories Behind Foosball and Air Mail
 Margaret continues her talk with Mangesh Hattikudur about the antifascist who invented table soccer and the socialist photographer who invented air mail. Sources: https://spainonthisday.com/alejandro-finisterre-the-inventor-of-table-football https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/feb/24/guardianobituaries.spain https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Finisterre https://historia-hispanica.rah.es/biografias/50737-alejandro-campos-ramirez https://raicesalaire.com/alejandro-finisterre/ https://www.revistadefrente.cl/el-poeta-anarquista-que-invento-el-taca-taca-para-la-ninez-victima-de-la-guerra-civil-espanola/ https://www.adiantegalicia.es/reportaxes/2019/09/08/alejandro-finisterre-la-historia-jamas-contada-del-genio-del-futbolin-en-el-ano-del-centenario-de-su-natalicio.html https://www.lambiek.net/artists/n/nadar.htm https://time.com/5289117/aerial-photography-drones-history/ https://www.thoughtco.com/the-first-impressionist-exhibition-183013See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Sep 1, 2025 • 46min
Part One: The Surprising Stories Behind Foosball and Air Mail
 Margaret talks with Mangesh Hattikudur about the antifascist who invented table soccer and the socialist photographer who invented air mail. Sources: https://spainonthisday.com/alejandro-finisterre-the-inventor-of-table-football https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/feb/24/guardianobituaries.spain https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Finisterre https://historia-hispanica.rah.es/biografias/50737-alejandro-campos-ramirez https://raicesalaire.com/alejandro-finisterre/ https://www.revistadefrente.cl/el-poeta-anarquista-que-invento-el-taca-taca-para-la-ninez-victima-de-la-guerra-civil-espanola/ https://www.adiantegalicia.es/reportaxes/2019/09/08/alejandro-finisterre-la-historia-jamas-contada-del-genio-del-futbolin-en-el-ano-del-centenario-de-su-natalicio.html https://www.lambiek.net/artists/n/nadar.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Aug 31, 2025 • 29min
CZM Book Club: Hermetica, by Alan Lea, Part Five
 Margaret brings you further along into the tale of Hermetica, the generation ship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Aug 25, 2025 • 37min
Part Two: Alter-globalization Continues: How the Movement of Movements Used Carnivals and Riots to Fight Neoliberalism
 Margaret continues talking about how people confronted trade summit after trade summit, fighting tooth, nail, and pom-pom against unelected world governance. Sources: https://crimethinc.com/2021/11/30/epilogue-on-the-movement-against-capitalist-globalization-22-years-after-n30-what-it-can-teach-us-today http://www.ainfos.ca/99/jun/ainfos00181.html https://crimethinc.com/2017/06/18/flashback-to-june-18-1999-the-carnival-against-capital-a-retrospective-video-and-comic https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/j18.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Aug 24, 2025 • 38min
CZM Book Club : Hermetica, by Alan Lea, Part Four
 Margaret brings you further along into the tale of Hermetica, the generation ship.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Aug 20, 2025 • 1h 1min
CZM Rewind: Part Two: The Jane Collective: Direct Action Abortion Access Works
 In part two of this weeks episode, Margaret continues her conversation with Samantha McVey about the more than a hundred women who provided safe, affordable abortion in pre- Roe v Wade Chicago. Original Air Date: 5.11.2022See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 


