To all SYD members living in Japan and to all members living in other parts of the world who have friends and relatives who live there, I'm sure that the entire SYD community joins me in sending you condolences and best wishes for a recovery from the massive natural disasters that struck that nation. To all who lost loved ones in those disasters we extend our deepest sympathy.

I know from visits to Japan and from interactions with Japanese Americans here in San Francisco that Japanese are among the most gracious and polite of any people in the world. The way that the victims in Japan have behaved is a model for the rest of the world for how to act with dignity and grace while suffering.