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Exhibit 12.1

Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |        | 
|------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------- | ------------------------ | ---- | - | ------ | ----- | ---- | - | ------- | ------ |  | - | ------ | ------ | 
|(Dollars in thousands)                                                   |                                    | Three-Months Ended May 31, |         | Six-Months Ended May 31,
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                         
|                                                                         |                                    |                            | 2002    |                          | 2003 |   | 2002   |       | 2003
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |     
|Income (Loss) from continuing operations before taxes                    |                                    | $                          | (20,703 | )                        |      | $ | 11,972 |       |      | $ | (26,498 | )      |  | $ | 14,309 |       
|Fixed Charges:                                                           |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |       
|                                                                         | Interest                           |                            |         | 10,915                   |      |   |        | 9,043 |      |   |         | 21,696 |  |   |        | 18,146 | 
|                                                                         | Interest factor portion of rentals |                            |         | 480                      |      |   |        | 413   |      |   |         | 960    |  |   |        | 825    | 
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |       
|                                                                         |                                    |                            | 11,395  |                          |      |   | 9,456  |       |      |   | 22,656  |        |  |   | 18,971 |       
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |       
|Earnings (Loss) before fixed charges                                     |                                    | $                          | (9,308  | )                        |      | $ | 21,428 |       |      | $ | (3,842  | )      |  | $ | 33,280 |       
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |       
|Preferred stock dividends accreted or accrued                            |                                    | $                          | 3,719   |                          |      | $ | 4,169  |       |      | $ | 7,231   |        |  | $ | 8,106  |       
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |       
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and
preferred stock dividends         |                                    |                            | N/A     |                          |      |   | 1.57x  |       |      |   | N/A     |        |  |   | 1.23x  |       
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |       
|Earnings inadequate to cover fixed charges and
preferred stock Dividends |                                    | $                          | 24,422  |                          |      |   | N/A    |       |      | $ | 33,729  |        |  |   | N/A    |       
|                                                                         |                                    |                            |         |                          |      |   |        |       |      |   |         |        |  |   |        |