OTHER INCOME/(EXPENSE)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]

Other Income and Other Expense Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 19 —OTHER INCOME/(EXPENSE):

Other income/(expense) consists of:

For the year ended December 31,	2012		2011		2010
Investment income:
Interest	$	431	$	918	$	1,294
Dividends		36		220		29
Gain/(loss) on sale or write-down of securities and investments		(3,166)		313		(753)
		(2,699)		1,451		570
Loss on repurchase of debt		-		(375)		-
Gain on derivative transactions		1,376		840		276
Miscellaneous—net		9		238		201
	$	(1,314)	$	2,154	$	1,047

Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities and gross realized losses on such sales that were included in income before taxes during the year ended December 31, 2012 were not material. There were no sales transactions relating to available-for-sale securities during 2011 and 2010.

During 2012, 2011 and 2010, in accordance with the Company’s accounting policy on other-than-temporary declines in fair value of available-for-sale securities (see Note 4, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”), the Company recorded impairment losses aggregating $816, $326 and $656, respectively. The Company also recorded a $2,600 loss on a cost method investment in a joint venture the Company exited during 2012.