EXHIBIT 12.1



Calculation of Earnings to Fixed Charges



|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   |  |                          |   |  |       |   |  |        |   |  |        |   |  |        |  
|------------------------------------------------------------ |  | ---------------------- | - |  | ------------------------------- | - |  | ------------------------ | - |  | ----- | - |  | ------ | - |  | ------ | - |  | ------ | -
|                                                             |  | Year endedDecember 31, |   |  | Three months ended December 31, |   |  | Year ended September 30, |  
|                                                             |  | 2003                   |   |  | 2002                            |   |  | 2001                     |   |  | 2000  |   |  | 2001   |   |  | 2000   |   |  | 1999   |  
|Interest expensed                                            |  | 2,565                  |   |  | 2,138                           |   |  | 681                      |   |  | 1,590 |   |  | 5,064  |   |  | 6,297  |   |  | 3,667  |  
|Capitalized securitization cost                              |  | 625                    |   |  | 200                             |   |  |                         |   |  | 600   |   |  | 600    |   |  | 1,000  |   |  |       |  
|Capitalized convertible debt cost                            |  | 2,476                  |   |  |                                |   |  |                         |   |  |      |   |  |       |   |  |       |   |  |       |  
|Preferred dividends adjusted to pre-tax at current tax rates |  | 25                     |   |  | 1,295                           |   |  | 495                      |   |  | 502   |   |  | 2,005  |   |  | 2,007  |   |  |       |  
|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   |  |                          |   |  |       |   |  |        |   |  |        |   |  |        |  
|Fixed charges                                                |  | 5,691                  |   |  | 3,633                           |   |  | 1,176                    |   |  | 2,692 |   |  | 7,669  |   |  | 9,304  |   |  | 3,667  |  
|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   |  |                          |   |  |       |   |  |        |   |  |        |   |  |        |  
|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   | 
|Pretax income                                                |  | 26,180                 |   |  | 17,907                          |   |  | 1,156                    |   |  | (893  | ) |  | 1,419  |   |  | (6,155 | ) |  | (8,398 | )
|Add: Fixed charges                                           |  | 5,691                  |   |  | 3,633                           |   |  | 1,176                    |   |  | 2,692 |   |  | 7,669  |   |  | 9,304  |   |  | 3,667  |  
|Less: Preferred dividends adjusted to current tax rate       |  | (25                    | ) |  | (1,295                          | ) |  | (495                     | ) |  | (502  | ) |  | (2,005 | ) |  | (2,007 | ) |  |       |  
|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   |  |                          |   |  |       |   |  |        |   |  |        |   |  |        |  
|Adjusted earnings                                            |  | 31,846                 |   |  | 20,245                          |   |  | 1,837                    |   |  | 1,297 |   |  | 7,083  |   |  | 1,142  |   |  | (4,731 | )
|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   |  |                          |   |  |       |   |  |        |   |  |        |   |  |        |  
|Earnings to fixed charges ratio                              |  | 560                    | % |  | 557                             | % |  | 156                      | % |  | 48    | % |  | 92     | % |  | 12     | % |  | -129   | %
|                                                             |  |                        |   |  |                                 |   |  |                          |   |  |       |   |  |        |   |  |        |   |  |        |