Note N - Fair Value

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

Note N:                      Fair Value

The Company applies authoritative accounting guidance for fair value measurements of financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities.  This guidance defines fair value, establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure for each major asset and liability category measured at fair value on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis and clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.  As a basis for considering such assumptions, the standard establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

· Level 1 – Observable inputs to the valuation methodology such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities  

· Level 2 – Inputs to the valuation methodology including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical assets of liabilities in inactive markets, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means  

· Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own estimates and assumptions or those expected to be used by market participants.  Generally, these fair value measures are model-based valuation techniques such as discounted cash flows, option pricing models, and other commonly used valuation techniques

The fair value of our marketable securities was $81 and $57 at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, and was determined using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1 fair value measurements).  Transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy are recognized based on the actual date of the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer.  We had no assets or liabilities that were valued using level 2 or level 3 inputs and therefore there were no transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.

The carrying amount of our short-term debt and revolving line of credit approximates fair value due to its short-term nature and because the amounts outstanding accrue interest at variable market-based rates.