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David Spero, artist-manager, talks about what went on behind the scenes with the Eagles - exclusive interview

Glenn Frey, David Spero and Joe Walsh. (Henry Diltz)
Michael Heaton, The Plain Dealer By Michael Heaton, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
on July 07, 2013 at 9:00 AM, updated July 07, 2013 at 9:23 AM

The Eagles are scheduled to play The Q Tuesday. One person who won't be invited to the show is David Spero.

Spero, a longtime artists' manager, has been involved with rock bands since the 1960s.

From the Eagles

For comment on this story, Plain Dealer reporter Michael Heaton contacted Eagles manager Irving Azoff as well as band members Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Joe Walsh by separate emails.

Only Felder responded, with a phone call. He refused to comment.

Larry Solters, a publicist in Los Angeles who has worked with the band for 35 years, spoke on the band's behalf. He issued this statement in response to multiple questions from Heaton regarding Spero's account:

"The Eagles are rehearsing for their upcoming world tour and do not have the time to waste on Mr. Spero's ridiculous assertions. In their eyes, all this nonsense is just more sour grapes from a disgruntled individual who got kicked off the gravy train over a decade ago. Now, he's apparently trying to create controversy in order to bring attention to his book, if in fact he's actually written one. If Mr. Spero makes any false statements about any Eagles member or their management, either in a published interview or in a book, those statements will be addressed in a legal forum, not in a newspaper interview."

He doesn't live in a Hollywood mansion. The free-standing office behind his house in South Euclid is like a mini Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Gold and platinum records hang on the walls alongside music-award statuettes and hundreds of photos with famous friends and clients.

The famous include guitarist Joe Walsh of the Eagles. Both men have roots in Northeast Ohio, Spero having grown up here and Walsh having attended Kent State University.

Spero was Walsh's manager for almost 10 years. In multiple interviews with The Plain Dealer and for the first time publicly, Spero reveals his version of his role in the Eagles' storied 1994 reunion and what it was like living and working with one of rock's iconic yet famously dysfunctional bands. The story, from his vantage, is that of a tumultuous band, rife with egos and conflicts.

Spero was destined to spend a life at the heart of popular music. Herman Spero, his father, created Cleveland's syndicated seminal rock-music television show "Upbeat." He worked from 1964 to 1971 on the show , which featured the first televised appearance of Simon and Garfunkel and the last TV performance of Otis Redding.

Spero would go on to become a DJ at WNCR and WMMS during the glory days of album-oriented rock; a vice president of distribution for Columbia Pictures; and a vice president of education and development at the Rock Hall. But many of the relationships that began at "Upbeat" would last a lifetime.

Like the one he had with Walsh, who had played with the well-known band the James Gang. Spero says the two met at a show in Chippewa Lake, when Walsh was with his first band, The Measles, in 1964.

Almost 50 years later, Showtime broadcast a five-hour documentary, "The History of the Eagles." It was a musical memory lane for many, stirring nostalgic feelings. But it prompted something else for Spero.

It compelled the 61-year-old longtime music-industry insider to tell his version of dealing with the band, the why and how of the Eagles' storied reunion in 1994, simply -- as he sees it -- "to set the record straight." And, he said, when he writes his memoirs, it will be called "Hotel Paranoia."

SPERO_AND_WALSH.JPGView full sizeJoe Walsh hams it up with David Spero in the background.

The Eagles remain one of the most successful rock groups ever, with multiple tours, hits and albums, and are a staple on classic-rock radio.

In a decade of managing Walsh, Spero oversaw his tours, recording and merchandise. He looked after his day-to-day career and often traveled with him. He was there to help him achieve and maintain what is now about 20 years of hard-won sobriety, Spero says.

Spero no longer works for Walsh. The guitarist is under the purview of Eagles' longtime manager, Irving Azoff. When the Eagles were inducted into the Rock Hall in 1998, drummer and lead vocalist Don Henley thanked Azoff, saying, "Sure, he's Satan. But he's our Satan."

Azoff is so famous for his ruthless management style that Henley's comment was included in Showtime's documentary.

Spero, Walsh get together

When the Eagles broke up in 1980, everyone who knew them said hell would freeze over before the band would reunite.

Walsh pursued other interests for 10 years. According to Spero, Walsh finally concluded the supergroup was never getting back together again and that he would need to become more serious about restarting his solo career.

The singer/songwriter/guitarist had just recorded his ninth solo album, "Ordinary Average Guy," but it wasn't on the radio yet. The single eventually would go to No. 3 on the Billboard chart. It's still in heavy rotation on classic-rock stations.

In 1990, Walsh called Spero from California.

"Are you ready?" Walsh asked.

"Ready for what?" Spero replied.

"To be my manager."

ROADIE__SPERO_AND_FREY.JPGView full sizeAn unidentified roadie, David Spero and Glenn Frey.

Spero flew to see his old pal. A driver greeted him and took him to Studio City, Calif., got out, unlocked the front door to a palatial estate, and walked back to the car. He drove off, leaving Spero there alone.

Spero was shocked. While Walsh was known for being a party animal supreme in the tradition of room-wrecking rockers, this scene was weird beyond belief.

The mansion was empty. Save for the backseat from an Econoline van and a piano, there was no furniture.

"Hellooo, Joe? Helloooo?" Spero called.

He looked in the fridge. It contained beer and a bottle of champagne. Spero doesn't drink alcohol but was thirsty. He would have to settle for tap water. But there were no glasses. He wound up drinking from the faucet.

Spero walked slowly from room to room, looking for Walsh. He was hoping he wouldn't come across anything horrific. Spero finally found Walsh in a downstairs room, asleep, wrapped in an old comforter on the floor.

There was one problem. Spero says when he walked in, he saw a handgun on the floor near the guitarist. Spero wasn't about to startle him. He quietly backed out of the room.

At 3 p.m., Walsh asked Spero why he hadn't wakened him. They had a meeting with Walsh's lawyer and business manager in a couple of hours. He asked if Spero brought a suit. He had. Walsh wore his usual random ensemble.

He explained to Spero that he had just bought the house and that movers hadn't arrived with furniture. With Walsh, Spero said laughingly, it was always something.

SPERO_AND_HENLEY.JPGView full sizeDavid Spero and Don Henley.

The four men met in a Beverly Hills boardroom while the lawyer and business manager acted as Walsh's sounding board. Questions went back and forth. Walsh explained he needed someone to take control of the logistics of his life so he could concentrate on writing and performing. Walsh said he was more concerned about chess strategy rather than checker moves, Spero says.

Spero understood.

The lawyers worked out a deal that put Spero in charge of scheduling, promotions, touring and recording.

Spero put Walsh on a bill opening for the Doobie Brothers. It was a summer tour of outdoor venues. This Walsh could do. There was less pressure to sell tickets as the opening act, and the single from his new album was all over the radio, bringing out fans.

Eagles fly solo, reunite with help in Cleveland

The recording and touring continued. Walsh wasn't the only ex-Eagle with his own band. Glenn Frey also was on the road. In 1993, Frey's tour took him through Cleveland. He called Spero and told him he was playing the Agora. Frey wanted to bring the band to Harvey's Barbecue in Cleveland Heights, where Spero had taken him a couple of years before.

At the restaurant, Frey and Spero sat at a booth. Spero told Frey he was now managing Joe.

"Cocker?" Frey asked.

"No, Walsh," Spero said. "Why do you think I'm talking to you?"

Then Frey complained that he had been reaching out to Walsh, but that his former bandmate hadn't returned his calls.

LOPEZ_ET_AL.JPGView full sizeMusicians Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, lawyer Peter Lopez and David Spero.

Spero told Frey that he and Walsh also had been trying to call him, but Frey had not called them back either. Both had gone through Eagles manager Azoff's office, Spero says.

The next day, Frey was on Michael Stanley's afternoon-drive show on WNCX to promote the Agora appearance. Spero, who was friends with Stanley and had been his manager, had Walsh call in and surprise his old bandmate.

"Glenn was giving me the finger through the glass in the radio booth the whole time," says Spero, laughing.

But Spero had accomplished his goal. Frey and Walsh were having their first conversation in 13 years. And it was going well. Frey promised Walsh he would close his show with "Rocky Mountain Way" that night. The two former bandmates were talking.

In 1993, Frey and Walsh teamed up to tour together as one band. Frey dubbed it the NBA tour.

"That stood for No Blow Allowed," Spero said. The actual name of the tour was Party of Two.

In February, Frey and Walsh were headed for Aspen, Colo., to do a show for Frey's charity, the Aspen Grassroots Experience. Aspen was Eagles country. Several of the Eagles, as well as Azoff, had houses there. Azoff called Spero with news: Henley had asked about joining them onstage.

Spero discussed it with Frey and told Azoff to tell Henley what the set list was and that rehearsal would be the following day at 3 p.m. Not one minute before or after. If Henley was a minute late, the door would be locked, and the deal would be off.

He showed up at the appointed time, and the show was a smash hit. Detente was developing in the Eagles nest. Everybody went to Azoff's house afterward for a reunion celebration.

Rules of the party: 'Glenn Commandments'

The next morning at 7 a.m., Spero's phone rang. It was Frey. He said he was sending a car for Spero because he wanted to talk. Spero promised to call him right back. Then Spero called Walsh and asked him what he should do.

"I'm not your dad, man," Walsh said. "Do whatever you want."

Arriving at Frey's house, Spero said he found the Eagle smoking a joint and sipping a glass of wine while pacing his living room. He began proposing an Eagles reunion -- the one they said would never happen. But Frey had demands he wanted met before he would proceed. They were on a single sheet of paper.

"I call them 'The Glenn Commandments,' " Spero said.

The conditions included governing band behavior on the road. After terms were agreed to, the Hell Freezes Over tour was under way.

"The rules were straightforward," said Spero. "No drugs or drinking allowed on tour. In fact, it specified that all the hotel minibars be emptied in all the hotel rooms before band members arrived. There was to be no abuse of the crew, which meant no more of the usual yelling and screaming."

To illustrate the depth of Walsh's drug and alcohol use at the time, Spero has home movies. He made tapes of Walsh's live shows. In these movies, Walsh is seen onstage at three different venues wearing the same clothes and looking increasingly disheveled. Then, at the fourth show, Walsh has a change of clothes and a fresh-faced, spry demeanor.

"When you see the new clothes, that means Joe has gotten a night's sleep, a shower and a meal," Spero recalls. "Then he's ready to go again.

"I will also say this about him. No matter how long he'd been up, no matter how much he'd consumed, whenever he hit the stage, he was always spot-on. He always hit his marks, played in tune and remembered lyrics. It was a pretty amazing thing to witness."

But offstage, Walsh led a complicated personal life.

Says Spero:"There's the famous story where he Super Glued all his hotel-room furniture to the ceiling. Whenever we got to the end of a tour, that's when he'd start wrecking things. I just don't think he was a comfortable guy at home. He was most alive . . . when he was performing in front of a crowd. On the road, he was a 'Special Person.' Everything else, meaning real life, came hard for him."

Spero wasn't immune to the proverbial rock-star lifestyle. He has been sober for more than 30 years. He gave up booze and drugs when his partying sessions started ending in seizures. He has no illusions or romanticism about the hard-partying lifestyle. He's seen too many people crash and burn.

"It was just a terrifically sad thing to see," Spero says of Walsh then. Spero says, in his mind, Walsh became serious about his sobriety for the sake of his daughter and because of the possibility of the band's reunion.

Walsh entered a rehabilitation facility in California. Walsh and Spero fell into a routine: The manager would pick up the guitarist and deliver him to a Hell Freezes Over rehearsal hall. After practice, he'd drive Walsh back to rehab.

"One day of rehearsal, I was driving Joe back to the hall, when we heard on the radio that Kurt Cobain had shot himself," Spero said. "Joe told me Cobain had left [rehab] the day before."

A 'disease' takes root in the band

When Spero was managing Walsh during the "Hell Freezes Over" Eagles reunion in 1994, he got a bit of advice from legendary record producer Bill Szymczyk, who produced the band's classic "Hotel California" album.

Szymczyk told him: "When you get the dreaded Eagles disease, and note that I said 'when' not 'if,' because you will get it, just make sure you find a way to get rid of it."

According to Spero, the "dreaded Eagles disease" turns a normal, unsuspecting person into a flaming jerk.

"There were always two Glenns," he says. "One was the greatest guy ever. Fun to be around, smart, funny, friendly. The other Glenn had the Eagles disease."

As predicted, Spero came down with the malady not too long after the band's Hell Freezes Over tour began.

"We were . . . at Giants Stadium doing two nights. My brother Harry called and needed tickets to more than one of the shows so he could take clients. I said, 'Who do you think you are? Pick a night.' And I hung up the phone."

That's when it dawned on Spero that he had become, well, infected.

"Suddenly, I thought, 'Why did I do that? I can get all the tickets I want,' " he recalls. "That's when I realized I had the disease." He called his brother back and said sheepishly, "You knew I was kidding, right?"

The Hell Freezes Over tour was governed by a lengthy and detailed rider, the term for a band's list of personal demands and requests. The band's personal dynamic was ice-cold.

"You had five guys with five different assistants," Spero says. "They arrived at the hotel from the airport in five different vans. In the hotel, they had rooms on five different floors. At the show, they stayed in five different dressing rooms. Nobody hung out. No cameras were allowed anywhere. Everyone was guarded and tense. Things began to sour between Glenn, the leader, and guitarist Don Felder."

It all reached a breaking point in 2000, resulting in Felder's departure.

Spero was caught in a similar bind. He says he was told by Eagles manager Azoff that Frey and Henley wanted Walsh to be managed under the Azoff umbrella, Spero says. Otherwise, he'd be paid as a sideman, as opposed to being a member of the band. Staying with Spero would mean a major reduction in Walsh's salary, Spero says.

As it was the best thing for his client, Spero agreed with Walsh to fire him.

Spero looks back at time with the band

Spero says he isn't bitter when talking about his time with the Eagles and Walsh, or his sudden departure. "I have the fondest memories of [the band], the backing musicians, the management and crew. It was a defining time for me."

He's now occupied working for other artists. Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco is a client with a new album. Dickey Betts, formerly of the Allman Brothers, is another world-class rocker Spero manages.

But Spero feels a sense of loss when it comes to his association with Walsh and the Eagles -- a loss of friendship, camaraderie and being part of a special moment with an extraordinary group of supremely talented songwriters, singers and performers.

When the Eagles kicked off the Hell Freezes Over tour at Irvine Meadows near Los Angeles, Spero says, "the band was incredibly nervous, wondering if they still had 'it' after 14 years apart. They did their band huddle before taking the stage. We were all walking out of the dressing rooms when you could hear the crowd roar, as the stage lights came on, a sign that the band was about to come on. Joe pulled me aside a bit and said, 'Take this in, man. You're a part of this.' That meant a lot to me."

But he also remembers an evening when Henley stalked off the stage after a show and barked at Spero, saying, "Spero, you're the luckiest man in show business." Spero said it made him feel like a hanger-on, a leech who didn't work for or deserve a part of the band's success.

"This is a brilliant group of guys. Listen to the songs, listen to the music. They are all amazing. No one can dispute this. No one can touch what they have accomplished in their careers. The pressure they put on themselves to be the best band in the world is enormous. They have a record for always making the right choices.

"They are so serious about the art and craft. It leads to tension and personal disputes among the guys. I wasn't spared that. No one was. I was far from the first casualty."

There is clearly no love lost between Henley and Spero. They never hit it off on a personal level. But Spero misses Frey.

"Glenn was always two people. When he was being an Eagle . . . let me put it this way, he used to wear a T-shirt that read 'That's Mr. Asshole to you.' But when he wasn't being an Eagle, he was pure fun. So funny and so much fun to be with."

Henley, not so much.

"Don once accused me of being Joe's enabler with the drugs and alcohol," Spero said. "He screamed at me, saying I was his source for all that stuff. I've been sober for more than 30 years. The idea that I would be doing that to Joe was just absurd. I'm a drug dealer? And I told him as much. It was crazy stuff. Things like that ran rampant in the Eagles camp."

So much so that Spero and Walsh would on occasion, for fun, come up with false rumors just to see how fast they would get back to Eagles headquarters.

"Once we dropped two bombs at once, kinda just out of boredom on the road," Spero says. "The first was that Joe had a TV show offer in the works, and the other was that I was writing a book about the band. Within 24 hours, I was summoned to Don's hotel room the next morning. Don's security guy was there when I showed up to open the door and let me into the inner sanctum. Don wanted to know what was going on. I told him it was all [B.S.]. No book, no show.

"I tried to soothe his soul by telling him I thought his album 'Building the Perfect Beast' was an almost perfect album. He was venomous. 'What's wrong with my other albums?' he asked. I told him it was time to go back to bed."

Spero won't be at the Eagles show Tuesday. But if he's in town, he'll be thinking about his days with them. And maybe about the book he's planning to write.

After all, as Spero says, it was all Frey's idea.

Frey always said Spero was the only one who could write a book about the band, since he worked for Joe -- not the Eagles. Frey even came up with the title one night on the road and handed it off to him: "If You're Reading This, I Must Be Dead."


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Bowling Green's big plays drop Kent State, 41-22

roosevelt nix.JPG
Kent defensive lineman Roosevelt Nix, in action last season against Akron, had four tackles for lost yardage against Bowling Green Saturday. (Kent State photo)
Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer By Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
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on September 07, 2013 at 3:14 PM, updated September 07, 2013 at 7:48 PM

KENT, Ohio -- Bowling Green unleashed its big-play offense to methodically wear down Kent State's defense for a 41-22 Mid-American Conference victory Saturday afternoon under blistering sunshine in Dix Stadium.

Kent's offense had enough early wrinkles to stay with the Falcons (2-0, 1-1), and even hold a 22-17 lead with 4:40 to play in the opening half. But the Falcons answered to take a 24-22 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Falcons then scored on their first two possessions of the second half to push their lead out to 34-22 forcing Kent (1-1, 0-1) to go for big plays that just were not there. Meanwhile the Falcons began to roll the tote board getting a backbreaking 92-yard TD on third-and-15 for the final margin of victory with 12:51 to go in the game.

BG's offense amassed 576 yards to 302 for Kent, but only 65 of those in the second half by the Flashes. The Falcons held the ball for 36:32 of the game to 23:28 to take a toll on Kent's defense, which is still without a turnover on the season. That was a hallmark of KSU's 2012 championship campaign.

"The history of this (BG) game has been big plays,'' Kent coach Paul Haynes said, "and we gave up far too many."

The Flashes played the game without the services of speedster Dri Archer, who has now missed all but three plays of the opening two games of the season with a mysterious ankle injury. Archer's availability for next week is unknown, and Haynes gave no clue of how close or how far he is from duty.

"I want to talk about the guys who played,'' Haynes snapped.

Without Archer, and with junior tailback Trayion Durham bottled up all game, Kent could not counter the explosive Falcons, who converted six of 12 third downs and gained 16 first downs for the game.

"They seemed to have an answer,'' Haynes said of the third down conversions. "We couldn't quite make a play.''

Many times it seemed Kent's defensive line had Falcons in their grasp for lost yardage, only to see them slip away for gains.

"We were there, but it wasn't fundamental,'' said KSU tackle Roosevelt Nix, who still finished with four tackles for lost yardage and a sack inside of his six tackles. "First hit, you got to bring them down."

Perhaps the clinching play, indicative of both teams all game, was the 92-yard touchdown. Kent opted to rush three, not four, and play max coverage. That gave BG's Matt Johnson plenty of time in the pocket. And 5-8 Ryan Burbrink running deep down the field found a slight crease in front of Kent's Malcolm Pannell that he needed.

"We protected it well and Matt had good patience in the pocket,'' BG head coach Dave Clawson said. "It was a great pass and Burbrink extended for it. Another half inch inside and it would have been deflected."

Pannell dove and missed the deflection and the tackle allowing Burbrink to run in for the score. In the end, BG tailback Travis Greene gained 145 yards rushing while quarterback Johnson was a steady 19 of 25 for 357 yards and two TDs thanks primarily to the sure hands of senior receiver Shaun Joplin with six catches for chain-moving 113 yards.

"He caught everything,'' Clawson said. "He didn't drop a ball."

Durham only gained 24 yards on 11 carries while Kent quarterback Colin Reardon finished 15 of 28 for 164 yards and two TD after starting the game hitting six of his first eight passes.

The Falcons travel to Indiana next week looking to stay undefeated while the Golden Flashes get the yeoman task of playing at LSU, followed by two more tough road games at Penn State and at Western Michigan.

But Haynes made it clear Kent would rise up to meet the challenge.

"This ain't over,'' he said. "It's a long season."

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Amy Davis' Favorite Things

Published On: Aug 16 2010 02:04:42 PM CDT   Updated On: Sep 20 2010 03:33:00 AM CDT

KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis loves to help fight for the consumer. Find out what other favorite things make her list.

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Pump Patrol: Save 21 cents a gallon

Published On: Feb 29 2012 02:18:42 PM CST   Updated On: Jan 01 2013 07:30:10 AM CST

The average cost of a gallon of gas in Houston is $3.12. But some stations around town sold regular gas for 21 cents less.

The following three stations sold gas for less on Tuesday, according to www.GasBuddy.com.

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SLIDESHOW: Detroit-Windsor Tunnel closed due to bomb threat

Published On: Jul 12 2012 02:12:36 PM EDT   Updated On: Jul 12 2012 02:36:41 PM EDT

The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was shut down Thursday afternoon on the report of a bomb threat.

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Old 07-29-2005, 09:15 PM
truebeliever truebeliever is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,768
Default Who Is David Icke?

I dont want to hear about the "great work" Icke has done.

I want to know why someone "dedicated" to the "truth" would honestly feel it nescessary to include his "shape shifting lizard" theory amongst his work? Even if it was "possibly" true...why poisen your OWN WELL?

I will be ordering his DVD BTW on the Illuminati as I have heard from people that i respect that it is good info.

However, take ONE look at his website...the guy is SO New Age I want to puke. How can we take this guy as SERIOUSLY on the side of "good".

He wants what "they" want. A people who believe that "infinite love" is ALL you need. The guy has an OBVIOUS messiha complex. He shows all the sighs of a man who has had an experience of the divine...he talks like a MASON!!!!!!!!!! He talks like an "illumed one".

This seems SO obvious I cant believe he has'nt been OUTED long ago.

Comments please...please "illuminate" me as to the goals of David Icke...

This image speaks a THOUSAND words...Seig Heil! Hitler too had a Messiah complex and spoke of NO NEED for Christianity as he based his life on "Parsifal And His Search For The Holy Grail". The "hero" who must find the "truth" for himself...and end up his own worse judge.

I am sincerely interested in this man as he has obtained a level of popularity which to be frank seems...ridiculous.

[size=medium]\"The Office\" is the greatest comedy...ever. [/size]
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Wed, Dec 19 2 Events

Endless Pastabilities & Little Italy

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Date: Wed, Dec 19, 2012
Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm
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Endless Pastabilities & Little Italy

 Endless Pastabilities
Wednesdays | 5:30pm – 8:30pm

  • Sicilian Salad Bar
  • Garlic Bread
  • Grilled & Roasted Vegetable Display
  • Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Lasagna with Italian Cheeses
  • Spaghetti and Meatballs with
  • Marinara Sauce & Parmesan Cheese
  • Grilled Sausage & Peppers
  • Seafood Stew
  • Chef's Attended Pasta Station
  • Chef Attended Shrimp Scampi Action Station
  • Italian Desserts

    Please call 760.324.9400 to RSVP

Little Italy
Wednesdays | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
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Join us at the Club on Wednesdays from 5:30pm – 7:00pm for Endless Pastabilities and your little bambinos have their own area to do arts and crafts, play, have fun and some kid friendly Italian favorites!

Available for kids age 12 and under, parents must dine at Pastabilities and remain on property.  Please make your reservation for future Little Italy’s at least 3 days in advance to help us plan accordingly.

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Sun, Aug 30 Today 2 Events

Golf n’Gulp

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Men’s Golf
Golf & Gulp

Wednesday’s 4:30-5:30pm

Attend this clinic and enjoy “Happy Hour” prices when you finish.
As a special for those that attend the clinic, you will be able to enjoy a Brew, Wine, or your favorite cocktail in the bar at Live Oak.
Instruction will be on the fundamentals, helping you to lower your handicap and develop the shots you need to play better.

Advanced registration is requested and sign-ups are limited to a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 8 players per Session.

Cost is $15 per Session.

Call The Live Oak Pro Shop to sign up.

512- 261-7173

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Athenaeum Location

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Dinner for the Class of 2010

Serendipity, Science, and the Bird Flu

The first Athenaeum dinner/lecture of each year is reserved exclusively for members of the freshman class. Traditionally, a member of the Claremont McKenna College faculty is invited to deliver this introductory lecture. First-year students this fall will have the opportunity to meet Dr. Thomas Poon, associate professor of chemistry at CMC. Dr. Poon is a member of the Joint Science Department (JSD) and is also a faculty member at Pitzer and Scripps Colleges. In his Athenaeum lecture, professor Poon will describe his research on natural products, and how it lead to the discovery of a process that could help meet the demand for the antiviral drug Tamiflu in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

Plants have long been the source of health and healing even before written records of such practices were kept. Today, 60-70% of the worlds population still relies primarily on plants for medicine. Even in the wealthier countries, 25% of prescription medicines have their origins from nature. This percentage increases considerably when one considers over-the-counter medications and synthetic drugs made from chemicals found in nature. Perhaps the most recent example of natures potential role in fighting disease is the drug known as Tamiflu. Tamiflu, the current best hope for fighting a bird flu pandemic, is made by Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd. in a laborious and expensive yearlong process. Tamiflu is not found in nature, but shikimic acid, the chemical used to produce it, is obtained from the seeds of the star anise, a spice used in various Asian cuisines. Thanks to the undergraduate researchers in Dr. Poons group, a new source now exists right here in Claremont (and throughout the U.S.). In his talk, Prof. Poon will discuss how serendipity and science lead to this discovery, and how nature has once again revealed its generosity.

Poon received his undergraduate education at Fairfield University in Connecticut and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UCLA. He joined the JSD in 2000 and has authored 20+ peer-reviewed articles, many with undergraduate co-authors. His recently published textbook, Introduction to Organic Chemistry (2004), has been translated into Italian and Japanese, and Dr. Poons website,, has been described by the journal Science as a way to help students avert an organic breakdown.

Everyone at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum looks forward to welcoming members of the class of 2010 on this special occasion. Freshmen are automatically signed up for the dinner. If you are unable to attend please email or call ext. 18244 to cancel.

Life and Death at High Altitude: What Himalayan Mountaineers and Late Permian Vertebrates Have in Common

Imagine living at an altitude of 6,000 m where the partial pressure of oxygen is less than half of that at sea level. Or, in the Great Salt Lake where the salt concentration is hundreds of times that in tributaries of the Amazon River. Or, at a depth of 10,430 m, next to a thermal vent in the Marianas Trench where the temperature is 350°C, pressure is 1,000 times that at the surface, and the vent is spewing out clouds of sulfur. Or, in a frozen lump of methane in the Gulf of Mexico. Some organisms not only tolerate such conditions, they actually thrive under them. Environmental conditions on the earth vary tremendously; however, the range of conditions under which humans can survive is remarkably small. This may explain not only why we have long been fascinated by organisms that live at extremes, but also why we still understand relatively little about how it is that they do so.

This fall semester 2006 the Joint Science Department of The Claremont Colleges, the biology departments of Harvey Mudd College and Pomona College, and the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum are very pleased to offer a series of four lectures by world-renowned experts on extreme environments and the physiology and ecology of organisms that inhabit them: Life at the Limits: The Physiology of Extremophiles. Professor Raymond Huey, professor of biology at the University of Washington, will present the first lecture in this series.

High altitude environments such as Everest and K2 in the Himalayas are challenging not only because of low partial pressures of oxygen but also because of temperatures that can plummet to -55°C and winds of over 100 mph. Despite this, the worlds highest mountains are climbed yearly. What factors influence patterns of success and death of Himalayan mountain climbers? Professor Ray Huey will discuss how behavior (e.g. decision to use supplemental oxygen), climber age, and environment (e.g. mountain height) influence the probability of reaching a summit and of surviving the trip back down. The problems facing todays mountaineers may seem to have little in common with animals that lived 250 million years ago. However, professor Huey suggests that high background extinctions during the Late Permian and the subsequent slow recovery of ecosystems may have been due in part to world-wide declines in oxygen levels. Recent data indicate that 240 million years ago, the availability of oxygen at sea level was comparable with that found today at more than 5 km above sea level (about 7,500 ft above the summit of Mt Baldy).

Dr. Huey is the author of well over 130 research publications, book chapters, and reviews. Among his many honors and appointments, he was chosen as a Distinguished Herpetologist by The Herpetologists League in 1991, was President of The American Society of Naturalists in 1993, was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1998-9, and received the Presidents Award (best paper of the year) in 2004 from The American Society of Naturalists.

Iran and the Bahais: A History of Persecution

Firuz Kazemzadeh was born in 1924 in Moscow where his father served for many years on the staff of the Iranian Embassy. Kazemzadeh attended primary and secondary schools in Moscow. He received his college education in the United States, obtaining a B.A. (with great distinction, Phi Beta Kappa) and an M.A. from Stanford University in 1947 and a Ph.D. in Russian history from Harvard University in 1950. Having settled in the U.S., Kazemzadeh began his academic career as a research fellow in Slavic studies at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He was subsequently a research fellow at the Russian Research Center and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard. In 1956 Kazemzadeh began teaching at Yale University where he was made professor of history in 1968 and, at various times, served as director of graduate studies in history, chairman of the Council on Russian and East European Studies, chairman of the Committee on Middle Eastern Studies, and Master of Davenport College. He retired in 1992.

Kazemzadeh has lectured as visiting professor at Stanford University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Lewis and Clark College, the University of Southern California Law School, Haifa University, and the University of Humanities in Moscow.

He is the author of The Struggle for Transcaucasia, 1917-1921 (1952); Russia and Britain in Persia, 1864-1914: A Study in Imperialism (1968), of chapters in several collective works such as the Cambridge History of Iran (1968), and of numerous articles in various journals.

Having been involved for many years in the defense of human rights, Kazemzadeh was appointed in May 1999 by President Clinton to serve on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Kazemzadeh served on the Commission for two terms, retiring in May 2003. He has testified on numerous occasions on human rights issues before congressional committees.

Kazemzadeh is a Bahai. His Bahai activities included thirty-five years of service on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahais of the U.S., the governing body of the American Bahai community; teaching at Bahai schools in Europe and America, lecturing in Europe, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand, and the editorship 1966-2000 of World Order, a Bahai magazine. Dr. Kazemadeh's lecture is cosponsored by the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights and the Athenaeum.

Where the Boys Are

Routinely regarded as protosexists, potential harassers and perpetuators of gender inequity, boys live under a cloud of censure, writes Christina Hoff Sommers, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C. and Athenaeum guest speaker. In her book, The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming Our Young Men (2001), Sommers argues that in response to feminist and educational reform movements of recent decades, our nations educational system currently devotes more attention to the needs of girls. However, there is no girl crisis, says Sommers. Girls outperform boys academically in reading and writing ability and are more likely to attend college. Additionally, girls self-esteem is no different from boys. According to Sommers, boys behaviors are considered boisterous and teachers routinely try to tame boys and make them behave more like girls. But Sommers advocates recognizing boys and girls distinctive strengths and gifts. In her talk, Sommers will discuss how boys are faring in a society that now systematically favors girls, and what can be done to turn things around.

Christina Hoff Sommers has been a professor of philosophy at Clark University and specializes in ethics and contemporary moral theory. She is the author of Who Stole Feminism? How Women Have Betrayed Women (1995) and the New York Times listed The War Against Boys in its list of Notable Books of the Year. This lecture by Christina Hoff Sommers is part of the series Inequality Debates: Is America Becoming a Two-Tiered Society? and is cosponsored by the Salvatori Center and the Athenaeum, and is in conjunction with Professor Fred Lynchs government class on Inequality, Politics and Policy.

The Value of a Business Education
LUNCH 11:45 a.m., LECTURE 12:15 p.m

He has been called "the most influential chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in two decades" and was instrumental in the design of the 2003 Bush tax cuts. More recently, he was named dean of Columbia Business School. While, the economy might be booming, business as a profession continues to suffer a black eye. Critics have chastised students for choosing business or law over science, engineering, or the humanities. A vocal defender of the MBA, Glenn Hubbard will publicly address the value of a business education. In his lecture, Dean Hubbard will demonstrate that top MBA programs educate their students to recognize and capture opportunities over the lifetime of a career, which in turn benefits all of society.
Glenn Hubbard was named Dean of Columbia Business School on July 1, 2004. A Columbia faculty member since 1988, he is also the Russell L. Carson Professor of finance and economics. Professor Hubbard received his B.A. and B.S. degrees summa cum laude from the University of Central Florida, where he received the National Society of Professional Engineers Award. He also holds A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard, Professor Hubbard began his teaching career at Northwestern University, moving to Columbia University in 1988. He has been a visiting professor at Harvards Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School, as well as the University of Chicago. Professor Hubbard also held the John M. Olin Fellowship at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
In addition to writing more than 100 scholarly articles in economics and finance, Professor Hubbard is the author of two leading textbooks on money and financial markets, as well as co-author of Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Five Steps to a Better Health Care System (2005). His commentaries appear frequently in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, Nikkei, and the Daily Yomiuri, as well as on television (on PBSs Nightly Business Report) and radio (on NPRs Marketplace).

In government, Professor Hubbard served as deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department for Tax Policy from 1991 to 1993. From February 2001 until March 2003, he was chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush. While serving as CEA chairman, he also chaired the Economic Policy Committee of the OECD. In the corporate sector, he is currently a director of ADP, BlackRock Financial, Duke Realty, KKR Financial Corporation, R.H. Donnelley, Inc., and Ripplewood Holdings.

Los Pinguos: A Musical Celebration of Latino Heritage Month
JOSE AGOTE, guitar

Described as a "hot Argentine folk groove band" and the "South American version of the Beatles," Los Pinguos came to the U.S. with every intention of making some noise. With Spanish guitars, a Cuban Tres and a Peruvian cajon (box-drum), musicians Adrian Buono, Jose Agote, Juan Manzur and Juan Manuel Leguizamon began playing together in Buenos Aires in 1999. Vivacious and infectious, their music garnered a devoted fan base in Argentina, inspiring the ensemble to pursue global attention.

Los Pinguos made its Los Angeles debut at local bars such as the Latin Lounge, the Knitting Factory, and the Key Club. But it was at Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade that the band realized its potential to reach a wide and diverse audience. There, a talent scout heard their music and urged them to audition for a new television show, The Next Big Star, at which Los Pinguos claimed the Grand Prize.

Since then, Los Pinguos has recorded two new albums  Live in Los Angeles (2005) and Peripecias (2006)  and played at the Wiltern Theatre and Music Center of Los Angeles. Recently the group appeared at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with female songstress Suzanne Vega. Los Pinguos' music has also appeared on the television shows "The Shield" and "The L Word," and is featured in the Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson film Imagining Argentina (2004).

Back by popular demand after last year's appearance at CMC, Los Pinguos launches the 2006 celebration of Latino Heritage Month by performing at noon outside Collins Dining Hall and in the evening with a concert at the Athenaeum. This popular program is sponsored by the Athenaeum, student activities, and dean of students at CMC, and the Chicano/Latino Student Affairs Center.

Running and Winning: What It Takes

The real world of modern electoral politics often travels a road far different than the one contemplated in textbooks and academic discussion. As CMC's most recently successful alumnus in electoral politics, Jake Zimmerman knows a thing or two about that road. After charting a political course from long-shot outsider to establishment candidate in less than a year, he will soon begin serving in the Missouri Legislature. But first, hes taking a brief respite from the trenches and coming home to CMC. Jakes experience running for office in a swing state is a tantalizing glimpse behind the spin and into the real dynamics of campaign life. And his story  complete with intrigue, party rivalry, smoke-filled rooms, and even a little bit of raw idealism  is as good as it gets.

Jake Zimmerman, a Missouri native, graduated from CMC in 1996 with a B.A. degree in PPE and government, and from Harvard Law School in 2000. After several political internships (including one in Bill Clintons White House), Jake worked as a campaign field office director, an attorney in private practice, Assistant Missouri Attorney General, Deputy Chief Counsel to the Governor of Missouri, and again as a private-sector attorney before running for office. (As his mother says: he cant hold a job.) Today, Jake is a first-time candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives. With no opposition in the November general election, he will be inaugurated in January, 2007. This will be the first significant political office he has held, unless you count the ASCMC Vice-Presidency.

Come join us for an insiders view of the emotional roller coaster of campaign life, along with a few thoughts about what this election cycle means for Missouri and for America.

Crimes Against Nature

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine's Heroes for the Planet for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 125 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.

Kennedy serves as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper, and president of Waterkeeper Alliance. He is also a clinical professor and supervising attorney at Pace University School of Laws Environmental Litigation Clinic and is co-host of Ring of Fire on Air America Radio. Earlier in his career, he served as assistant district attorney in New York City.

Among Kennedy's published books are The New York Times bestseller Crimes Against Nature (2004); The Riverkeepers (1997); and Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr: A Biography (1977). His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Nation, Outside magazine, the Village Voice, and many other publications.

Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation, he attended Pace University School of Law, where he was awarded a masters degree in environmental law.

This lecture is supported with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Roberts Environmental Center, and the Kravis Leadership Institute and is part of the Athenaeum series Leadership in Times of Crisis: The Environment.

The Future of Islam: Toward the Islamic Reformation

In 1978, at age seven, Reza Aslan fled Iran with his family amidst the chaos of a revolution. Today, he is a respected expert on Islam and the Middle East, a scholar and media consultant on issues of religion and politics, and author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam (2005). Praised by The New York Times as a grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined . . . literate, accessible introduction to Islam, No god but God has established Aslan as one of the most dynamic voices of liberal Islam in the United States.

In his lectures and writings, Aslan explores the intricate interplay between faith and politics in the Muslim world, presenting Islam as an ever-evolving faith and culture that is currently in the midst of a cataclysmic internal battle for reform and modernization. Aslan argues that the current conflicts in the Middle East are not the result of a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West, but rather the consequences of an Islamic reformation occurring with the Muslim world, an internal struggle to define the future of this magnificent yet misunderstood faith and to harmonize its traditions and values with contemporary ideals of democracy and human rights.

Reza Aslan has degrees in religion from Santa Clara University, Harvard University, and U.C. Santa Barbara, as well as a M.F.A. in fiction from the Iowa Writers Workshop. In 2000, Aslan was named visiting professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Iowa, becoming the first full-time professor of Islam in the history of the state. In 2003, Aslan left his post at the University of Iowa to concentrate full-time on writing. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The New York Review of Books, Prospect Magazine (UK), Slate Magazine and The Nation.

Reza Aslans lecture is made possible through the generosity of CMC alumnus L. J. Kutten 74, and is part of the Athenaeum series Voices from the Middle East.

Sara Roberson 09 and Nick Zosel-Johnson 07 will begin their fall academic year with one of the most coveted jobs on campus  as Athenaeum fellows for the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. Fellows not only eat at the head table with influential speakers from the fields of business, politics, and the arts, but introduce speakers to Athenaeum audiences four times a week.

One of Robersons and Zosel-Johnsons chief duties is to help write and edit the Athenaeums bi-weekly newsletter, The Fortnightly. In addition, the Fellows work with Athenaeum director Bonnie Snortum to develop themes and strategies for bringing distinguished guests to campus.

Athenaeum fellows are selected on the basis of academic strength, breadth of interests and intellect, and communication skills, says Athenaeum director Bonnie Snortum. Sara and Nick embody all of the above, as well as a nice balance of diverse interests.

Roberson calls the Athenaeum an irreplaceable facet of CMC. It offers members of our community the amazing opportunity to learn from and interact with various exemplary members of the real world,  she says. Perhaps even more importantly, I feel that the Ath aims for inspiration, something that is sometimes overlooked in the more rote aspects of conventional education.

Zosel-Johnson concurs: Students interact with professors, members of the community, and with working professionals, he says. The Athenaeum was one of the main reasons I decided to come to CMC. I think it is a defining feature of the school.

Zosel-Johnson, a government major, is interested in the theory of American Exceptionalism and hopes to see a speaker series developed on the future of American-led Democratization. Roberson, who has not yet declared a major but suspects it will be an amalgam of history and foreign languages, says that booking former President Jimmy Carter would be a dream come true.

Reservations for the meal that precedes each event may be made online at or in the Athenaeum lobby. CMC students may sign up for a seat at the head table twice per Fortnightly, but it must be done in person in the Athenaeum office.


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CHARLES KAMM, conductor

The Chamber Choir of Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, conducted by Charles W. Kamm and accompanied by Paul R. Bishop, will present a winter holiday concert at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College on December 4, 2012. The program features the transcendent Mass for Four Voices by the master of English renaissance music, William Byrd. This work was written for the chapel of Elizabeth I and demonstrates the art of polyphony that exemplifies the high renaissance. The concert will also include holiday carols, including The Shepherds Carol by Bob Chilcott, a former member of the renowned Kings Singers.

The Chamber Choir was founded in fall 1977, by Professor Michael Deane Lamkin. It is currently comprised of 21 members who also sing with the Concert Choir and functions as an integral part of the music curriculum of the Claremont Colleges.

Charles Kamm is director of choirs for the Joint Music Program of Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges as well as associate professor of music at Scripps College where he is currently chair of the music department. In addition to conducting the choirs, Professor Kamm teaches music history at Scripps College. Areas of scholarly interest include Baroque and Classical performance practice, Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten, musical theater in the U.S., and Scandinavian choral music. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. Earlier studies include a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and a Master of Music degree from Michigan State University. He has also studied in Vienna, Austria, and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, as a Fulbright Scholar in 2002-2003. A tenor, Dr. Kamm is also active as a vocal performer. He has performed recitals of the songs of Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Charles Ives, Samuel Barber, and Benjamin Britten in the United States and in Europe.

The evening begins with a traditional Holiday meal prepared by the renowned Athenaeum kitchen staff: Chef David Skinner, Juan Herrera, Angela Fitch, and Byron Figueroa.


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Management And Training

SC Johnson Young Leaders Scholarship program names recipients

June 21, 2012
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RACINE, WI — The SC Johnson Young Leaders Scholarship program has awarded $295,000 in scholarships to students in the Racine Unified School District who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school, according to a press release.

The program, now in its 10th year, granted 16 new scholarships and renewed 44 scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year, the release stated.

"SC Johnson is proud to support the students in our community at such an important and exciting time in their lives. Without financial assistance, many of these young people might not realize their dream of pursuing higher education," said Fisk Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of SC Johnson.

"Being able to help students in our own community offset the ever-increasing education costs is rewarding for us and supports SC Johnson''s core principles. We are committed to helping our community and preparing tomorrow''s leaders," Johnson added.

According to the release, SC Johnson established the program in 2002 and has assisted nearly 175 students with more than $2.8 million in scholarships paid since the program''s inception.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must demonstrate economic need, have a minimum cumulative grade point average and plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school, the release noted.

Click here to read the complete release.

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Waterless Urinal

October 11, 2010
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Waterbury Companies Inc. introduces ZeroFlush®, a waterless urinal system. ZeroFlush is 100 percent environmentally friendly and reduces water usage by up to 40,000 gallons per year, per urinal. ZeroFlush urinals are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED). ZeroFlush comes in three models.

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Taking The Necessary Steps (Brant Insero) Dedication to employee development is a clear sign that an organization is taking the right steps in preparing individuals for success and advancement.

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Five Tips For Janitorial/Custodial Training These five expert tips on janitorial/custodial training are just a fraction of what you'll learn from the Cleaning Management Institute's (CMI) three-day Train the Trainer course.

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Treasurys Pare Losses on Strong Debt Auction

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Prices for U.S. Treasurys fell on Thursday as signs of life in the euro zone economy renewed recent bearishness, although a strong sale of 30-year debt tempered losses.

While holding interest rates at a record low, the European Central Bank on Thursday said the monetary union's economy will recover later in 2013 and that there are already some signs of stabilization.

The ECB "brought a great bit of selling and renewed bear steepening into the market through all the morning, and that was the guiding thought," said Jim Vogel, interest rate strategist at FTN Financial in Memphis, Tennessee.

Taking the edge off losses, a $13 billion auction of 30-year bonds on Thursday fetched a high yield of 3.070 percent, lower than markets had expected.

"While there was not any one extremely strong auction statistic, we had above-average numbers across the board worthy of a B-plus," said George Goncalves, head of rates strategy in the Americas for Nomura Securities.

"Overall, this was a solid auction and shows that there is life after (the Fed's Operation) Twist given that QE4 is still supportive of bonds," he added.

(Read More: Rising Bond Yields—This Is Just the Start)

The central bank's "Operation Twist" stimulus program, under which it sold shorter-dated Treasurys and bought longer-dated debt, expired at year-end.

The Fed is now buying about $40 billion per month of mortgage-backed securities and $45 billion per month of longer-dated Treasurys in an effort to prop up the economy. Some analysts have dubbed the Fed purchase programs "QE4."

Ten-year Treasurys were last down 11/32 in price to yield 1.899 percent, up from 1.86 percent late on Wednesday.

Thirty-year Treasurys fell 12/32 in price to yield 3.081 percent, up from 3.06 percent on Wednesday. Those prices pared losses sharply after the auction and even briefly turned positive.

Yields are trading near eight-month highs after minutes released last week from the Federal Reserve's December meeting sparked speculation that the U.S. central bank may end its bond purchase program before year-end, sooner than most expected.

"When the minutes came out it put doubt in people's minds about the duration on bond purchases, all of a sudden people started to think that maybe it's not going to happen through the balance of this year," said Tom Tucci, head of Treasurys trading at CIBC in New York.

Investors will now be closely watching a speech that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is due to give on Monday at the University of Michigan for any further indications of how long the Fed's latest bond purchase program will last.

Much, however, is likely to depend on the economy as Bernanke has said he wants to continue stimulus until the economy is on surer footing and unemployment drops significantly.

"The real crisis we are faced with is getting our economy to grow at a rate that creates jobs," said David Coard, head of fixed income sales and trading at The Williams Capital Group in New York.

The resolution of the so-called "fiscal cliff" has also dampened the safety bid for U.S. debt since the beginning of the year.

But bigger battles scheduled for the weeks ahead on how to cut spending and reducing the deficit may bring buyers back to the debt.

"We still have the spending debate that could become increasingly tricky. I've got to believe that with that looming out there it's hard to really feel comfortable about ranges," said Coard.

The Fed bought $3.16 billion in notes due from 2020 and 2022 on Thursday as part of its bond purchase program, which is designed to reduce borrowing rates and spur hiring.

(Read More: Fed Bond Buying Will Run for a 'Long Time')

In addition, the U.S. high-grade market set a weekly volume record on Thursday, despite indications that investors and issuers alike are growing increasingly anxious about the months ahead.

The week's investment-grade volume hit $41.61 billion, topping the previous best of $40.642 billion, Thomson Reuters

US Treasury Yields

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What Stock Market Rally Needs to Keep Bulls Running

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average punched through its record high on Tuesday, but for the rally to continue, some pros say the euphoria on Wall Street may need to spread to Main Street.

"It's not on record volume that we're reaching these record highs and it's not because of the chatter we're hearing outside on the street," Joseph Greco of Meridian Equity Partners told CNBC. "I'm a little concerned that in reality the market can't sustain it up here. The people that are going to be in are already in."

If these record highs are to turn into a sustained bull run, retail investors will need to jump back in more forcefully after sitting out the recent advance, Art Cashin of UBS told CNBC.

(Read More: Dow Breaks Record but Party Likely Won't Last)

There are signs that retail investors have begun to move back into stocks – albeit tentatively. Individual investors bought stocks more aggressively than they have in three years, according to TD Ameritrade.

(Read More: Investors Jump Big Into Bull Market)

But there are plenty of reasons investors on Main Street may remain on the sidelines. The economic recovery remains fairly tepid, consumers are still recovering from the housing crash, unemployment is high and politicians are still wrangling over the country's fiscal problems.

Markets will get a better read on how the consumer and the U.S. are doing when the Federal Reserve on Wednesday releases it's "beige book" report of how the economy was doing in February.

(Read More: This Could Trigger a Pullback: Stoltzfus)

In the January report, the Fed characterized the pace of economic growth across its 12 districts as either modest or moderate. It also indicated a pickup in consumer spending and the real estate market.

Chad Morganlander, a Stifel Nicolaus portfolio manager, told CNBC he expects all 12 districts will show an improvement in economic activity in February.

But TrimTab Investment Research CEO Charles Biderman said the data have been weaker in February. "Wages and salaries grew less than inflation in February, so that's a negative number," he told CNBC, adding that they peg job creation at 100,000 for February.

Economists are generally more optimistic, expecting employers to have created 160,000 new jobs in February, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters. Higher payroll taxes and the threat of the sequester are likely to have kept employers from hiring aggressively.

The unemployment rate is forecast to remain at 7.9 percent, which will likely keep the Federal Reserve's bond-buying program going. The Fed has a target of 6.5 percent unemployment before it begins unwinding its stimulus measures.

ADP's employment report, closely watched for hints of what to expect in the government's jobs report, is due out on Wednesday. Economists expect the ADP report to show an increase of 175,000 jobs, according to Thomson Reuters.

January factory orders are also due out Wednesday, with economists looking for a 2.3-percent decrease following a 1.8- percent rise in December.

While the retail investors has not yet returned and there is still the risk of some unexpected shock from Washington, Europe or China that could force a pullback, markets can lean on Fed policy for support.

(Read More: Why China's Property Market Is Getting Scary)

Steve Massocca of Wedbush Securities said the market rally has been driven by zero interest rates which have forced investors to scramble for dividend-paying stocks in a hunt for yield.

"Investors will continue to chase yield all year long," he said. "That's going to propel stocks higher."


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Obama Urges Europe to Work with US on Security

U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama urged Europe on Thursday to stand by the United States in bringing stability to Afghanistan and confronting other threats from climate change to nuclear proliferation.

Speaking at the Victory Column in Berlin's Tiergarten park to an audience police estimated at over 200,000, the Democratic senator said America had no better partner than Europe but cautioned the allies against turning inward.

Barack Obama
Mark Stahl
Barack Obama

"No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan," Obama said in the only formal public speech he will give on a week-long tour of Europe and the Middle East meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials.

"But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond Europe's borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone."

Broad in scope, the speech was aimed not only at European audiences but also U.S. voters who face a choice in the Nov. 4 election between the Democrat Obama and Republican John McCain.

McCain, a Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war, is an Arizona senator who has long been an influential voice on foreign policy and military matters.

He is making national security a central focus of his campaign and contends that Obama, a 46-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, lacks the foreign affairs seasoning to serve as commander-in-chief.

Obama has aimed to dispel that notion with a seven-nation tour this week that has taken him to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Israel.

He is highly popular in Germany and his appearance has been likened to the 1963 visit of President John F. Kennedy, whose "Ich bin ein Berliner" address shortly after the building of the Berlin Wall became an iconic moment of the Cold War.

New Dangers

Obama did not break into German like Kennedy, but spoke at length of the historic ties between the United States and Germany, touching on the Berlin airlift 60 years ago and the fall of the Wall in 1989.

"The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers," he said in the 28-minute speech. "No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone." (See the accompanying CNBC video for more.)

Obama has urged a shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, where stability is threatened by a fierce Taliban insurgency.

Germany has roughly 3,500 troops in Afghanistan and is expected to raise that by 1,000 later this year.

But Chancellor Angela Merkel has resisted pressure from the United States to send German soldiers to the more dangerous south of the country and said on the eve of Obama's visit that Germany had "limits" in what it could do.

Obama urged Europe and the United States needed to stand together to send Iran a message that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions and urged both sides to move beyond their differences over the Iraq war to help suffering Iraqis rebuild their lives.

"Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future," he said. "The greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another."

His comments were cheered by a huge crowd, some wearing Obama badges, "Yes We Can" t-shirts echoing a slogan of his and carrying American flags.

A reggae band played in the background and people sipped beer under sunny skies in a summertime party atmosphere.

There was loud applause when Obama talked about the environment, multilateralism and human rights, but none when he raised Afghanistan.

"Relations between Germany and the United States will improve under Obama," said Dennis Buchner, 31. "But he also has high expectations on the Germans increasing their military engagement in Afghanistan. That will certainly spark debate in Germany."


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What I Learned About My Co-Anchor From 3,800 Miles Away

Joe's pee smells after he eats asparagus.

That's what he announced to me, and the rest of the world, on Squawk this morning.

It wasn't completely out of the blue. We kind of pushed him there. By "we", I mean me and Linda Avey, the co-founder of 23andMe. 23andMe is a personal genomics company that collects your spit and discovers your genetic makeup.

I know, it's a bit of a jump from spit to Joe's pee. But stay with me.

The spit test shows all kinds of things about you ... most importantly things like the kinds of diseases you could be susceptible too. But your genes also determine more mundane things too, like whether you can roll your tongue, or whether you can smell asparagus in your urine.

That's where Joe comes in! He's one of the chosen people who have this special ability.

Joe Weighs In ...

I sent Joe a copy of the blog post about how his pee smells after he eats asparagus. He sent back this:

"Asparapee ... And I can smell other's... The dreaded 2nd hand asperapee."


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Bernanke 'Bigger Threat' Than 'Fiscal Cliff': Schiff

A Federal Reserve committed to ultra-easy monetary policy poses an even greater challenge to the U.S. economy than the "fiscal cliff," investor Peter Schiff said Tuesday.

Peter Schiff
Jin Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Peter Schiff

A sharp critic of the Fed's quantitative easing, or QE, Schiff told CNBC's "Futures Now" that the Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was "a much bigger threat to the U.S. economy than the fiscal cliff."

Even as Bernanke shied away from outlining new stimulus despite what he called a "disappointingly slow" recovery, Schiff insisted that "if it wasn't for all his accommodation, all the QEs, we wouldn't have to go over the fiscal cliff. If fact, ultimately because of what the fed has done, we're going to have to go over a much bigger cliff."

Schiff, who insists that QE will lead to runaway inflation, is a booster of gold as an alternative to paper money and stocks. He stuck by his call that bullion would surge to $5,000 per ounce once the Fed's policy eroded the value of the dollar. (Read More: Think Gold's Pricey Now? Wait Until It Hits $5,000: Schiff.)

"If we avoid the cliff, that is very bullish for the gold market because that means that trillion dollar-plus deficits will perpetuate, and these big deficits are what's undermining the dollar because the Fed has to print money to finance them," Schiff said.

"The more money they create to buy up the bonds that nobody wants, the higher the price of gold will go," he added.

Until recently, stock markets had been on the rise, a rally that Schiff insisted was due to artificial support from Fed policy.

"All the moves that we're getting in the U.S. stock market are driven by inflation. It's not because the economy is getting better or that real earnings are going to improve, it's just that the value of money is going to be destroyed," he said.

The precious yellow metal "is going to outperform stocks, but stocks are going to outperform paper (money), certainly bonds," Schiff added.

Read on for 10 Things You Need to Know to Trade Futures

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