8.	Equity and Other Investments

The Company's equity and other investments consisted of the following (in thousands):


	March 31, 2012		December 31, 2011
Scarborough	$	7,905	$	13,210
TRA preferred stock		1,703		1,703

Equity and other investments	$	9,608	$	14,913

The Company's 49.5% investment in Scarborough Research ("Scarborough"), a Delaware general partnership, is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. The Company's preferred stock investment in TRA Global, Inc., ("TRA"), a Delaware corporation is accounted for using the cost method of accounting. See Note 17 for further information regarding the Company's TRA investment as of March 31, 2012, and December 31, 2011.

The following table shows the investment activity and balances for each of the Company's investments and in total for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2012, and 2011 (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31, 2012								Three Months Ended March 31, 2011
	Scarborough			TRA		Total			Scarborough			TRA		Total
Beginning balance	$	13,210		$	1,703	$	14,913		$	13,205		$	5,180	$	18,385
Investment loss		(2,356	)		—		(2,356	)		(2,532	)		—		(2,532	)
Distributions from investee		(2,949	)		—		(2,949	)		(2,650	)		—		(2,650	)

Ending balance at March 31	$	7,905		$	1,703	$	9,608		$	8,023		$	5,180	$	13,203