Note 9 - Debt and Revolving Lines of Credit (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2012
Schedule of Debt [Table Text Block]
 
 
November 30, 2012
   
August 31, 2012
 
 
 
Short-term
   
Long-term
   
Short-term
   
Long-term
 
0%-3.7% interest vendor financing contracts, 2.3%-3.7% imputed interest, due December 2012-December 2013
  $ 6,253     $ 5,010     $ 6,586     $ 4,982  
Debt of consolidated joint venture: 6% interest, due January 2013
    3,450             3,400        
Capital lease obligations
    437       179       430       289  
Subtotal
  $ 10,140     $ 5,189     $ 10,416     $ 5,271  
Westinghouse Bonds (see description below)
    1,570,976             1,640,497        
Total
  $ 1,581,116     $ 5,189     $ 1,650,913     $ 5,271  
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]
 
 
 
November 30,
2012
   
August 31,
2012
 
Westinghouse Bonds, face value 50.98 billion JPY due March 15, 2013; interest only payments; coupon rate of 2.20%;
  $ 426,875     $ 426,875  
Westinghouse Bonds, face value 78 billion JPY due March 15, 2013; interest only payments; coupon rate of 0.70% above the six-month JPY LIBOR rate (0.30% at November 30, 2012)
    653,125       653,125  
Increase in debt due to foreign currency transaction adjustments since date of issuance
    490,976       560,497  
Total Westinghouse debt
  $ 1,570,976     $ 1,640,497