67 Year Old Fitness Fan Comments on Senior Health and Fitness: 5 ...

Genetic inheritance can not be changed. If you are at risk for high cholesterol due to the genetic makeup inherited from your ancestors, then that is a fact that must be accepted.

This is of concern because high cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease and heart attacks. Often, cholesterol must be controlled with medications, However, whether you are already at a high cholesterol level or not, on medication or not, you can often lower cholesterol levels by several points simply by making some uncomplicated lifestyle changes.

1. Get Regular Exercise:
Participating in regular and non-structured physical activity such as gardening, walking, or swimming, or in a formal exercise program, has several well-documented health benefits. Some of these benefits affect your cholesterol levels indirectly, but exercise can even reduce cholesterol levels directly. Even something as simple as squeezing in a few short exercise sessions daily can help produce results.

2. Lose Weight:
Several studies have shown that losing as little as 10 lbs can help reduce cholesterol levels, and exercise is also one of the more effective strategies for healthy weight loss. Losing weight can contribute to reduced cholesterol. That's one of the indirect aspects of exercise mentioned earlier.

3. Eat Right:
Hey! Here we go again. Healthy eating helps promote weight loss. Healthy weight loss can help encourage interest in exercise, as can getting the proper nutrition. A general rule of thumb for healthy eating is that the closer to the source the food is, usually the better for you it is. Get rid of trans fats generally found in fried foods and bakery products. Select lean cuts of meat, low fat dairy products, and exercise portion control. Eat a wide range of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. By all means, read the labels! Pick foods with lower cholesterol levels. For example, I was buying one brand of a product I used daily until I read the label and found that it had a much higher cholesterol level than another brand which provided the same nutrients.

One other tip about eating: get rid of sugar and simple carbs. This is another discussion, but too much sugar and simple carbs can create blood sugar spikes with lead to insulin resistance. Long story made short: this can kick off a series of complications which can increase cholesterol

4. Keep Alcohol Consumption at Low Levels:
It has been found that a low level of alcohol consumption, generally no more than one or two drinks a day, can be of some health benefit and can help increase "good" cholesterol. Red wine has an ingredient, resveratrol, which apparently helps protect cells against the effects of aging. However, high levels of alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke.

By the way, here's a tip: Drink your wine with cheese. This can slow down the effects on blood sugar.

5. Don't Smoke:
As an ex-smoker, I cannot beat on this drum enough! If you already smoke, stopping smoking can improve your HDL cholesterol level. The health benefits don't end there, either. Only 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure decreases. Then within 24 hours, your risk of a heart attack begins to decrease. Within just one year, your risk of heart disease is already down to half that of a smoker. It gets even better. Within 15 years, your risk of heart disease is similar to someone who never smoked.

Generally, lifestyle changes won't cause a huge decrease in cholesterol levels, but, given time, they will, in most cases, produce results.

However, as mentioned earlier, some people may need medication to actually reduce cholesterol levels effectively. Even in those instances, it is still in the individual's best interest to include the lifestyle choices as a part of their plan for good health overall and cholesterol control in particular.

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Labels: how to lower cholesterol, lifestyle for lower cholesterol, lower cholesterol

Source: http://fitness-after-40.blogspot.com/2012/08/5-simple-lifestyle-changes-for-lower.html

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Families of Colo. theater victims question fundraising

AURORA, Colo. (AP) ? Anguished family members of some of the Colorado theater shooting victims lashed out at a fundraising campaign Tuesday, saying it collected more than $5 million "using pictures and names of our murdered loved ones" but so far has given no more than $5,000 each to families facing bills for medical treatment, travel and other expenses from the attack.

The families also said they've been shut out of decisions on how the money should be spent and that fundraisers were unresponsive to their questions and suggestions.

"When you generate donations for a fund called 'the Aurora Victim Relief Fund' using pictures and names of our murdered loved ones, it would stand to reason the fund is for victims of the Aurora shooting," said Tom Teves, whose son Alex was one of 12 people killed in the July 20 shootings. Another 58 people were wounded, and many of them face long recoveries or permanent disability.

At a sometimes-emotional news conference, Teves read a seven-page statement demanding the fundraisers give the victims and their families a say in how the money is used and questioning why so far only a relatively small portion, $350,000, was being distributed to the victims.

Teves said the statement was on behalf of 11 families. Eighteen other people crowded onto a small platform behind him, some dabbing their eyes with tissues, clasping hands or leaning on each other.

The Community First Foundation, asked by Gov. John Hickenlooper to operate the relief fund, said on its website it has raised just over $5 million for the Aurora Victim Relief Fund. The foundation announced on Aug. 17 that it would give $350,000 to the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance to distribute among the surviving victims and the families of those who died. Earlier, it said another $100,000 was given to 10 nonprofit groups.

Marla J. Williams, president the Community First Foundation, said a gag order imposed by Arapahoe County District Judge William Blair Sylvester made it difficult to find all the victims and their families.

She said a group has been set up to recommend how to spend the donations but no victims' representatives have been chosen yet.

"I don't know who represents the victims. There are a number of people who were involved," she said, adding that the group at Tuesday's news conference did not represent all the victims.

Williams said she worries that Tuesday's statement will give donors second thoughts.

"I'm sad because I think there are people who have been very generous and contributors who might think their money has not been used wisely," she said.

The 37-year-old Community First Foundation supports community programs in the metropolitan Denver area.

Nancy Lewis, executive director of the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, said the victims and the agencies involved want the same thing: "They want healing for all the crime victims."

She said Sylvester's gag order prevented her from commenting further.

Sylvester issued an order on Aug. 16 barring the organization from releasing names and contact information for the victims. The order does not appear to place any other restrictions on the group.

Teves said the families were humbled by the amount of the donations, and grateful. He said none were speaking out just to get money.

"We have nothing to gain as the families of the murder victims," he said. "We have already lost everything."

He said anyone who was in the theater at the time of the shooting or lived in the same building as the suspect ? who police said had booby-trapped his apartment ? should be eligible to receive help.

Teves insisted the families' purpose wasn't to attack the fundraising groups or the government.

"All we're saying is, 'Listen to us. We have unique knowledge and unique skillsets that we can bring to bear to make this better for all the victims. Why are we shunned to the outside?' That's what this is about."

A meeting is scheduled Friday between victims' families and officials of the fundraising campaign.

Teves challenged Hickenlooper, who attended the slain victims' funerals, to step in and help the families get a say.

"You pledged 12 times that 'We will remember,'" Teves said. "Are you a man who is true to his words, or were they just words?"

Hickenlooper's spokesman, Eric Brown, said the governor understands the families' frustration and is advocating for them to have more say. He said Hickenlooper also wants the fundraisers to improve their communication with the families.

Brown praised the generosity of donors and said the victims would get more money.

"Everyone involved is trying to do the right thing in a very difficult situation," he said.

The suspect in the shootings, 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. He has not entered a plea. The next hearing in the case is Thursday.

___

Associated Press writers Steven K. Paulson and P. Solomon Banda contributed to this report.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colo-theater-victim-families-fundraising-180417041.html

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Enter to Win: Sports Authority Gift Card ? Mile High on the Cheap

About Us

Looking for inexpensive or free things to do in Denver/Boulder? Want to sample local stores, restaurants, & attractions without breaking the bank? Mile High Cheapskates
Laura Daily, Claire Walter & staff editor Bryan Chavez show you how to get the best for less. Want to get in touch? Email us at: info@milehighonthecheap.com

Just in time for the 58th annual SNIAGRAB sale at the Sportscastle and other Sports Authority stores, you can enter a random drawing for a $50 gift card to Sports Authority retail stores. To enter, leave comment answering the question, ?What item of of snowsports equipment or apparel?are you most interested in buying now?? SNIAGRAB is an annual Labor Day tradition with massive reductions off original prices on ski and snowboard gear, apparel, accessories and snowshoes. Deadline to enter is Thursday, August 30 at 12 noon. We urge you to check your E-mail and also this MHOTC site in the early afternoon for the winner?s name. We will need the?winner?s name and mailing address ASAP in order to mail out the?gift card i n time for the sale.

Subscribe By Email. It?s Free!

Source: http://www.milehighonthecheap.com/2012/08/enter-to-win-sports-authority-gift-card/

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Final Scoreboard: India vs New Zealand, 1st Test

Hyderabad, Aug 26

Final scoreboard of the first cricket Test between India and New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here Sunday.

India first innings 438

New Zealand first innings 159

New Zealand second innings (following-on, overnight 41/1):

Martin Guptill lbw Ojha 16

Brendon McCullum lbw b Yadav 42

Kane Williamson c Sehwag b Ojha 52

Ross Taylor b Ashwin 7

Daniel Flynn lbw b Ashwin 11

James Franklin c Sehwag b Ashwin 5

Kruger van Wyk lbw b Ashwin 13

Doug Bracewell c Kohli b Ojha 1

Jeetan Patel not out 6

Trent Boult c Sehwag b Ashwin 0

Chris Martin lbw b Ashwin 0

Extras (b 1, lb 10) 11

Total (all out in 79.5 overs) 164

Fall of wickets 1-26 (Guptill, 14.3 ov), 2-98 (McCullum, 45.1 ov), 3-105 (Taylor, 48.3 ov), 4-138 (Williamson, 64.2 ov), 5-142 (Flynn, 67.2 ov), 6-145 (Franklin, 69.6 ov), 7-148 (Bracewell, 74.6 ov), 8-160 (van Wyk, 77.2 ov), 9-164 (Boult, 79.2 ov), 10-164 (Martin, 79.5 ov)

Bowling:

Pragyan Ojha 28-9-48-3

Zaheer Khan 13-5-17-0

Umesh Yadav 10-1-32-1

Ravichandran Ashwin 26.5-9-54-6

Suresh Raina 2-1-2-0

Umpires: Steve Davis (Australia) and Ian Gould (England)

TV umpire: Vineet Kulkarni

Match referee: Chris Broad (England)

Source: http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a323359.html

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Interview with Chris Farrell: 401k's, Personal Finance and Where We ...

chris farrell photoWhen it comes to financial matters, it?s hard to find a more trusted voice, than Marketplace Money?s?Chris Farrell. I love the down-home and simple advice he gives during interviews as well as his syndicated newspaper and magazine columns. He?s a firm believer in developing a ?margin of safety? within your personal finances and has authored several books including his latest ? The New Frugality?(that Charlie reviewed in July of 2010). Farrell was nice enough to answer a few of our questions. We hope you find them beneficial.

What one thing do you think more people should be doing with their finances today? ? but aren?t?

Well,? I think people are doing a good job trying to save more and pay down debts. It isn?t easy with high unemployment, underemployment and stingy pay raises. What I do think people should focus a lot more on is on planning their careers and developing their networks. Of course, it isn?t easy getting a job these days and many people are struggling to hang on to their job or find a new one.

Still, the main lesson of two bear markets and two recessions in less than a decade is that most of us will need to work longer, well into the traditional retirement years. What does that mean for you? What kind of jobs would you like to do? What skills or education do you need to launch a second or third career? It?s important to manage a career over a lifetime and in the personal finance advice business I don?t think it gets emphasized enough.

What?s the number one question you get most often ? and how do you answer?

The big question these days involves college and student loans. (It used to be credit cards and credit scores.) Parents and their students are worried about the high cost of attending college. Recent college graduates are struggling to pay down their student loans.

Let?s get one thing out of the way: A college education pays, although what I should really say is what counts is postsecondary education. A college education to me includes everything from a certificate earned at a community college to a community college associates degree to a B.A.? The Great Recession has been brutal on most workers, but those without a college degree have suffered the most.

For those heading off to college my advice is to borrow with extreme care. Parents and their students should think through the financial downside as well as the upside of their college choices. Too much debt is a mistake. Everyone should adopt a green-eyeshade mentality and shop for the best deal. Borrow as little as you can with federal student loans. Avoid private student loans. The former give you a number of options to restructure your student loans if your financial circumstances are hard. The latter don?t.? For those who have graduated from college with student loans I advocate picking the repayment option with the lowest monthly tab?for now. Buy yourself some financial breathing room. The drawback to this strategy is it can raise the overall cost of your college sheepskin. There is no prepayment penalty with student loans, however. Once you start making a decent income you should get aggressive about eliminating the debt.

Do you think 401k?s will become a thing of the past with the ?newer? revelations of their high fees?

No, 401(k)s will be with us for a long time, although the retirement savings product will be tinkered with in an attempt to improve it. The revelation about fees is only the latest reform.? Fees will come down, which is good. It?s about time.

The big problem with the 401(k)s is employees bear all the risk, deciding how much to invest and where to invest it (among the options chosen by their employer). A cottage industry of behavioral economists has chronicled how poor most people are at making sound investment decisions. Finance economists are devising alternatives that merge the portability benefits of 401(k)s (the 401(k) fits the needs of a mobile workforce) with a more assured income in retirement, reminiscent of the traditional pension plan. Problem is, major reform fatigue has set in Washington and it is hard to see much of a change in coming years. Too bad.

In your book, the New Frugality, you talk a lot about creating a ?margin of safety?. Can you explain this idea a bit?

In practical terms, creating a margin of safety is siphoning more of our earnings into savings, paying off debts and borrowing less. Some examples of managing money with a margin of safety perspective is putting a down payment of 20% or more on a home, savings covering 12 months or so of expenses and spending less than you earn. A healthy financial buffer offers shelter against terrifying downturns in the economy, as well as life?s inevitable setbacks, such as an illness.

But a margin of safety involves much more than taking out an insurance policy against tragedy and trauma. By finding the finding the right balance between caution and boldness a margin of safety allows for sensible risk-taking over a lifetime. A healthy household balance sheet lets us to pursue intriguing opportunities when they come along, to take risks that might lead to a more satisfying career, to embrace changes in our lives that could lead to greater happiness. Safety and opportunity, like risk and return, are two sides of the margin-of-safety coin.

You also talk about how folks turn their money over to professionals too much (to manage). How can people get past their fears in managing investments, etc.

Is there a couple rules to follow that make it more simple? For one thing, simplicity is an underappreciated virtue with money. The risks and rewards of simple investments are easy to grasp and monitor. The expenses associated with plain vanilla products are low. Another reason for keeping it simple is how busy we all are today. We don?t have the time to become a financial specialist, and most of us don?t want to spend hours managing our money. You want to control your money. You don?t want your money to control you.

Stick to what is safe and simple. You?ll be better off financially and you?ll have more time for the more important things in life. How do you do it? Well, even though you?re hardly getting paid anything for your money, you know the principal is safe socking it away every month into an online savings account, a credit union savings account, and U.S. Treasury bills. The key here is to build up a margin of financial safety. When it comes to savings for your retirement you can?t go wrong following the advice in books like The Random Walk Guide To Investing by Burton Malkiel. It?s short and to the point, with an emphasis on low fee and index funds. Don?t try to beat the market or be a Wall Street trader.

Some are predicting more troubled days ahead for the economy (student loan bubble, deep US debt from bailouts, etc). Are you more optimist or pessimistic about where things are headed for the US?

I?m essentially optimistic about the economy, with some bumps along the way.? We?re well educated. We have a lot of human capital. Our major corporations are globally competitive. Technological innovation is flourishing. I think it?s a mistake to underestimate the wellsprings of creativity in the economy.

Other posts you might be interested in:

Source: http://www.threethriftyguys.com/2012/08/interview-with-chris-farrell-401ks-personal-finance-and-where-were-headed/

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Daily Tips for Business: Resumes Cover Letters

Doing consulting work is interesting, boy have things changed since I was in business. Still, I got a blast from the past the other day as an entrepreneurial client asked me to help him interview a few potential key members for his executive team. We'd already been to their LinkedIn pages, and knew all about them, nevertheless, one of them handed me a resume on some rather expensive water marked paper. I didn't care much about the resume, as I wanted to talk with the gentleman to see if he knew his stuff. He looked at me funny when I glanced at his resume, shoved it under my leather yellow note pad folder and asked; "should we begin?"

Source: http://dailytipsforbusiness.blogspot.com/2012/08/resumes-cover-letters_23.html

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5 SEO Pitfalls To Avoid In 2012

Last updated 12 hours ago

In an ideal world, search engine results would show the most relevant websites on a certain topic. However, companies try to game the big search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, in order to raise their search engine rank through prohibited practices. These are known as black hat search engine optimization (SEO) tactics, and can hurt your business? online success.

Google and its competitors are cracking down on these black hat SEO methods through consistent adjustments to their algorithms. Here are five pitfalls to avoid in 2012, when optimizing your company website for search:

1. Do not hide links in your source code.

A website contains two sets of data: the information you see, and the behind-the-scenes code that dictates the visible part of the page. A common black hat SEO trick is to hide links inside the

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTML or JavaScript code. Due to recent algorithm updates, some web browsers may penalize sites that stuff keywords into source code. If your site used this tactic in the past, you may want to have an online marketing professional update your code.

2. Avoid excessive links in page footers.

The bottom of every page of your website should contain your contact information and copyright data. Flooding the footer with excessive links and too many keywords can throw off search engine crawlers. When in doubt, keep the bottom of every page simple. Don?t abuse this space to create internal or external links.

3. Stay clear of copied, spun, or scraped content.

Search engines frown on online plagiarizing. The best way to create high page rank and increase relevant page views is to publish relevant and unique content. If another news source published a relevant article, link to them and include a very small excerpt. Copying work or using article spinners can result in duplicate content, which may demote your site if search engine crawlers tag you as a copycat.

4. Avoid Broken Internal Links

From a usability standpoint, every company website should aim to eliminate broken links to other parts of its site. This is also an important housekeeping item from an SEO point of view, as search engines can identify un-navigable pages, which may lower your site?s rankings.

5. Do Not Over-Optimize Your Site

Some companies figure that over-saturating their website copy with keywords will help them show up higher in search results for all kinds of different search terms. Web crawlers can now tell if your content does not make grammatical sense or is just too stuffed with key words. Industry experts currently recommend a 3 to 5 percent keyword density per page.

If your business wants to rise in the search engine rankings, then contact Brad Sharenow.? Brad is an experienced digital marketer who can assist your small New York City business with SEO, social media, and more! Call Brad today at (877) 411-3777 for a free internet marketing consultation.

Source: http://www.onlinemarketingconsultantnyc.com/528521/2012/08/23/5-seo-pitfalls-to-avoid-in-2012.html

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NBA Free Agency 2012: Martell Webster Will Sign With Wizards, According To Report

The Washington Wizards will sign sharpshooting swingman Martell Webster, according to reports. Webster was a free agent after being released by the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer during their aggressive pursuit of Nicolas Batum.

Marc Stein of ESPN reported the news just one day after revealing that Webster had worked out for the Wizards. Webster has had back issues in his career, but Stein reports that he is recovering well from the back surgery he had before last season.

The swingman's biggest asset is his shooting, and he'll likely consistently spot up on the outside and try to be the beneficiary of John Wall's penetration. Mike Prada of Bullets Forever highlights what Webster brings to the table:

When healthy, which is a big if given his history of back problems, Webster is mostly a spot-up shooter. Last season, 64 of his 270 shot attempts were spot-up three-pointers, according to MySynergySports.com. He had a down year shooting, hitting just 36 percent of those attempts and 33 percent from three-point range overall. However, he was much better two years ago, nailing nearly 44 percent of his 78 spot-up three-point attempts and 42.5 percent from three-point range overall. He is a fairly one-dimensional player, but the Wizards do need the one dimension that he brings to the table.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed but it's likely that the contract is for the veteran's minimum.

Update: Webster's contract is a one-year deal worth approximately $1.6 million, sources tell SI's Sam Amick.

For more on the Wizards, head over to Bullets Forever. For more from around the NBA, head over to SB Nation's NBA hub page.

Source: http://dc.sbnation.com/2012/8/23/3264093/nba-free-agency-2012-martell-webster-washington-wizards

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Romney to declare goal of North American energy independence by 2020

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will lay out policies on Thursday aimed at achieving North American energy independence by 2020 by pursuing a sharp increase in production of oil and natural gas on federal lands and off the U.S. coast.

Romney is to unveil his plan at a truck and supply business in Hobbs, New Mexico, as he seeks to draw a sharp contrast between his energy policies and those of President Barack Obama and detail in part how he would rekindle job growth in the United States.

His emphasis on the economy amounts to an effort to return the campaign to the central issue Romney believes is most critical in the November 6 election and the key to a victory for him.

The economic debate has to a certain extent been sidelined in recent days by controversial remarks about rape by a Senate Republican candidate in Missouri, Todd Akin, who Romney has denounced.

Romney's energy policies are heavily tilted toward increased production of carbon-based resources, oil, gas and coal, that environmentalists blame for global warming. He is outlining the policy two days after going over some of the details with executives from the oil industry who contributed to his campaign at fund-raising events in Texas.

Republicans are eager to make greater use of the U.S. energy supply to increase jobs for Americans suffering amid an 8.3 percent unemployment rate. They would curtail some federal regulations to permit more production.

Romney is to predict that a full-blown energy plan will create 3 million jobs in energy sectors and other areas, part of an ambitious effort to create 12 million jobs during a Romney presidency.

"I want every American who wants a good job to be able to have one," Romney told Republicans at a fund-raising event in Little Rock on Wednesday.

The centerpiece of Romney's energy plan is to permit individual states to manage energy development on federal lands within their borders, according to a "white paper" released by the campaign and a briefing for reporters by senior aides in advance of the speech.

Currently the federal government controls development on these lands, and Romney's aides said that under Obama, this has led to a sharp reduction in exploration over the past year.

Letting states issue permits for exploration on federal lands would speed up the process, Romney will argue.

Romney would also open up areas off the East Coast to oil exploration, and in particular would reverse Obama's decision to suspend development off the coast of Virginia following the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

He would establish a five-year offshore leasing plan that would open new areas for development beginning with those off the coast of Virginia and the Carolinas.

A North American energy partnership with Canada and Mexico would also be sought and Romney would allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas, which has been delayed by the Obama administration.

"I'm going to take advantage of our energy resources: Oil, coal, gas, nuclear, renewables, wind, solar. North America will be energy independent by the last year of my second term," he said.

The plan makes little mention of climate change or greenhouse gases. Romney policy adviser Oren Cass said Romney supports green energy and government spending on energy research, but opposes loan guarantees for green companies.

A tax credit for the wind industry expires at the end of this year. Obama supports an extension of it while Romney opposes it even though it could hurt him with voters in Iowa and Colorado. Cass said the wind industry has lost 10,000 jobs and growth has slowed.

"Gov. Romney is focused on actually setting the wind industry up to be a competitive, innovative industry that can succeed on its own two feet, like so many other successful and profitable industries in the country," he said. (Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan in Washington; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48760497?__source=RSS*tag*&par=RSS

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Reports: North Korea's Kim Jong Un will travel to Iran

Kns / AFP - Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a military base in the southern part of the country, in a recently released, undated photo from the country's official news service.

By Kari Huus, NBC News

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is planning to travel to Tehran next week, in his first overseas visit since taking over after his father's death in December, South Korea?s Yonhap and Arirang news services reported on Wednesday.

Iran?s spokesman for the Non-Aligned Movement Summit confirmed that Kim would attend a meeting of the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement scheduled for Aug. 26-31, according to Seoul-based Arirang.

North Korea watchers have keenly tracked the movements of Kim Jong Un, about whom virtually nothing was known when he was installed in the top posts of the authoritarian regime in Pyongyang.

In recent months, by adopting a different style than his late father Kim Jong Il, he has?sparked a flurry of speculation that he might reform the country's rigid economic and social structure.


In July, Kim started appearing in public with an attractive woman who was later announced ?to be his wife Ri Sol Ju. Kim's recent appearances at an amusement park and with school children have made the young leader ? thought to be 28 or 29 years old ? seem more approachable than his father. ?

Last week, Kim's uncle Jang Song Taek met with top leaders in Beijing, fueling predictions that Pyongyang would put in place economic reforms like those launched in China three decades earlier.

But by making his first foreign visit to Iran ? a country nearly as estranged from the rest of the world as his own ? Kim gives no sign of a foreign policy thaw.

The Non-Aligned Movement was set up at the height of the Cold War by nations that did not want to side with NATO or the Warsaw Pact Nations. Hosting the summit, held about every three years, rotates among the 120 member nations, including .

About 40 world leaders have confirmed they will attend the summit in Iran, according to the English-language?Tehran Times, while another 60 were expected to send lower level officials.?

The Obama Administration has said Iran doesn?t deserve to host the summit given its failure to comply with international demands to open up about its nuclear program and has urged U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon not to attend. He has asked nations that are attending to pressure Tehran to come clean, the Associated Press reported Monday. ?

North Korea also has a nuclear program, the details of which are the topic of much analysis and speculation in the West. ?

U.S. efforts to engage Pyongyang ended abruptly when Kim Jong Un announced a planned missile launch shortly after agreeing to a deal freezing nuclear development in exchange for food from the United States. The launch failed, but discussions remain on hold. Analysis of recent satellite imagery by the Institute for Science and International Security suggest that the country?s construction of nuclear facilities is accelerating.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Follow Kari Huus on Facebook

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/21/13400924-reports-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-will-travel-to-iran?lite

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