The Dow from then to now 

I recently spent a "guys weekend" at a cabin in the woods. For three straight days, three old college buddies orchestrated a marathon fishing excursion in several remote mountain lakes.  

Three days, three kayaks, no television, no Internet. It led to in-depth conversations of old girlfriends, the Patriots, the Bruins, the Red Sox's chance at the pennant, politics and the price of tea in China. There might have been some spinning of the yarn as we revitalized the old war stories.

The three of us - a nuclear engineer, a Wall Street lawyer and a Certified Financial Planner Practioner - can usually have some pretty stimulating conversations.

One cool, foggy afternoon, when the fish were being elusive, the question arose of "what's up with the Dow?"

"Funny you should ask," I replied as we paddled through the lily pads. "It's the biggest shake-up of the 30-stock index in almost a decade. Now grab yourself a beer, and I'll tell you some more while I change fishing gear."