Note 14 - Employee Stock Option and Retirement Plans (Details) - Summary of Share-Based Awards Available For Grant	0 Months Ended				12 Months Ended																					0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 08, 2013	Apr. 14, 2011	Nov. 08, 2010	Feb. 09, 2010	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2014 Non-Performance Based [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Non-Performance Based [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Non-Performance Based [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Performance Shares [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Performance Shares [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Performance Shares [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Non-Employee Director Grant [Member] Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Non-Employee Director Grant [Member] Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Non-Employee Director Grant [Member] Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]		Aug. 31, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member] Employee Option Plan [Member]		Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]		Aug. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member] Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]		Nov. 02, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 23, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Feb. 09, 2010 Restricted Stock [Member]	Oct. 23, 2009 Restricted Stock [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Employee Option Plan [Member]		Aug. 31, 2013 Employee Option Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Employee Option Plan [Member]		Aug. 31, 2014 Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]		Aug. 31, 2012 Non-Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]
Note 14 - Employee Stock Option and Retirement Plans (Details) - Summary of Share-Based Awards Available For Grant [Line Items]
Balance																															3,116,000		4,340,000	4,977,000		107,000		147,000
Granted - Performance and non-performance based options								(174,000)	(645,000)	(540,000)	(203,000)	(1,011,000)	(907,000)	(14,000)	(19,000)	(21,000)
Granted - Restricted Stock	(26,344)	(29,087)	(62,544)	(17,230)	(204,000)	(132,000)											(510,000)	[1]	(329,000)		[1]		[1]		[1]	(153,972)	(30,144)	(55,572)	(87,758)	0
Share-based awards canceled/forfeited					849,000	743,000	786,000																								993,000	[1]	761,000	810,000	[1]	9,000	[1]		[1]
Balance																															3,222,000		3,116,000	4,340,000		102,000		126,000

[1] Under the Company's option plan, for each restricted stock award granted/canceled/forfeited, an equivalent of 2.5 shares is added back to the available share-based awards balance.