EXHIBIT 12.1



Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

(unaudited)



|                                                        |  |                        |        |                              |   |                                 |      |  |   |         |   |  |      |         |   |  |   |        |  |   |       |  |   |        
|------------------------------------------------------- |  | ---------------------- | ------ | ---------------------------- | - | ------------------------------- | ---- |  | - | ------- | - |  | ---- | ------- | - |  | - | ------ |  | - | ----- |  | - | -------
|                                                        |  | Year Ended October 31, |        | Quarter Ended April 30, 2005 |   | Six Months Ended April 30, 2005
|(amounts in thousands, except ratios)                   |  | 2000                   |        | 2001                         |   |                                 | 2002 |  |   | 2003    |   |  | 2004 |         |  
|Consolidated pretax earnings from continuing operations |  | $                      | 70,672 |                              | $ | (276,766                        | )    |  | $ | (92,225 | ) |  | $    | (55,010 | ) |  | $ | 74,974 |  | $ | 1,053 |  | $ | 455,653
|Interest expense                                        |  |                        |       |                              |   |                                |      |  |   |        |   |  |      |        |   |  |   | 992    |  |   | 750   |  |   | 1,500  
|Amortization of debt issuance costs                     |  |                        |       |                              |   |                                |      |  |   |        |   |  |      |        |   |  |   | 982    |  |   | 743   |  |   | 1,486  
|Interest portion of rental expense                      |  |                        | 10,200 |                              |   | 10,500                          |      |  |   | 8,700   |   |  |      | 7,200   |   |  |   | 6,440  |  |   | 1,721 |  |   | 3,486  
|                                                        |  |                        |        |                              |   |                                 |      |  |   |         |   |  |      |         |   |  |   |        |  |   |       |  |   |        
|Earnings                                                |  | $                      | 80,872 |                              | $ | (266,266                        | )    |  | $ | (83,525 | ) |  | $    | (47,810 | ) |  | $ | 83,388 |  | $ | 4,267 |  | $ | 462,125
|                                                        |  |                        |        |                              |   |                                 |      |  |   |         |   |  |      |         |   |  |   |        |  |   |       |  |   |        
|Interest expense                                        |  | $                      |       |                              | $ |                                |      |  | $ |        |   |  | $    |        |   |  | $ | 992    |  | $ | 750   |  | $ | 1,500  
|Amortization of debt issuance costs                     |  |                        |       |                              |   |                                |      |  |   |        |   |  |      |        |   |  |   | 982    |  |   | 743   |  |   | 1,486  
|Interest portion of rental expense                      |  |                        | 10,200 |                              |   | 10,500                          |      |  |   | 8,700   |   |  |      | 7,200   |   |  |   | 6,440  |  |   | 1,721 |  |   | 3,486  
|                                                        |  |                        |        |                              |   |                                 |      |  |   |         |   |  |      |         |   |  |   |        |  |   |       |  |   |        
|Fixed charges                                           |  | $                      | 10,200 |                              | $ | 10,500                          |      |  | $ | 8,700   |   |  | $    | 7,200   |   |  | $ | 8,414  |  | $ | 3,214 |  | $ | 6,472  
|                                                        |  |                        |        |                              |   |                                 |      |  |   |         |   |  |      |         |   |  |   |        |  |   |       |  |   |        
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges                      |  |                        | 7.9    |                              |   | (25.4                           | )    |  |   | (9.6    | ) |  |      | (6.6    | ) |  |   | 9.9    |  |   | 1.3   |  |   | 71.4   
|                                                        |  |                        |        |                              |   |                                 |      |  |   |         |   |  |      |         |   |  |   |        |  |   |       |  |   |