The disastrous earthquake in Taiwan saddens all of us who have strong ties to the island on the other side of the Pacific. Images of buildings toppled, homes destroyed, villages wiped out by landslide shocked us. Behind those piles of rubbles, a mother lost her children, a young child became an orphan, a wife became a widow. Their tragic loss is beyond my comprehension. On my part I can only give what I can monetarily for my own peace of mind. My admiration goes to those that went home and gave their knowledge and their arms and legs to help rebuild the island. I sincerely hope that this kind of catastrophe brought out only the good in us but not the bad. But things may not be that easy. We will be tested again in some  other ways, some other time. Patience and compassion, that's all we can rely on to endure.

On a brighter note, in this issue we proudly presents writings contributed by Patrick Wong and Chiaming Chen. Patrick recently combated a stage four cancer and Chiaming was by his side every step of the way. They graciously share their stories with us. I thank them very much for that. Paradox has also taken on a new look to accompany their welcomed additions.

C. Wu