Offering frequent news and analysis from the majestic Evergreen State and beyond, The Cascadia Advocate is the Northwest Progressive Institute's unconventional perspective on world, national, and local politics.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Tsunami roundup: The latest developments in Japan, Hawaii, and on the Left Coast

Here is a summary of some of the latest developments on the 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami, the worst earthquake to strike Japan in human history and one of the worst documented natural disasters on record:
Here are some measurements of tsunami activity along our coast from NOAA:

LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL
------------------------ ----- ------ ------- -----------
NORTH SPIT CA 40.8N 124.2W 1630UTC 03.1FT/00.95M
PORT SAN LUIS CA 35.2N 120.8W 1721UTC 06.3FT/01.93M
PORT ANGELES WA 48.1N 123.4W 1827UTC 01.9FT/00.59M
WINTER HARBOUR BC 50.7N 128.3W 1450UTC 01.7FT/00.53M
SANTA MONICA CA 34.0N 118.5W 1845UTC 02.4FT/00.74M
SANTA BARBARA CA 34.4N 119.7W 1801UTC 02.2FT/00.67M
SAND POINT AK 55.3N 160.5W 1812UTC 01.6FT/00.49M
NIKOLSKI AK 52.9N 168.9W 1614UTC 02.7FT/00.82M
KING COVE AK 55.1N 162.3W 1713UTC 01.6FT/00.48M
CRAIG AK 55.5N 133.1W 1613UTC 00.8FT/00.24M
ELFIN COVE AK 58.2N 136.3W 1535UTC 00.5FT/00.16M
SITKA AK 57.1N 135.3W 1711UTC 01.0FT/00.32M
POINT REYES CA 38.0N 123.0W 1803UTC 04.4FT/01.35M
PORT ORFORD OR 42.7N 124.5W 1724UTC 06.1FT/01.85M
ADAK AK 51.9N 176.6W 1747UTC 03.4FT/01.05M
KODIAK AK 57.7N 152.5W 1550UTC 00.5FT/00.15M
LOS ANGELES CA 33.7N 118.3W 1905UTC 01.1FT/00.32M
SAN DIEGO CA 32.7N 117.2W 1906UTC 00.7FT/00.21M
LA JOLLA CA 32.9N 117.3W 1834UTC 01.0FT/00.31M

Note that tsunami amplitudes are measured relative to normal wave level.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have offered their condolences to Japan's leadership and people on behalf of the United States. The White House released a statement early this morning, before sunrise on the Left Coast, saying that America was ready to come to Japan's aid:
Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis. The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial. The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy. We will continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward and we are asking all our citizens in the affected region to listen to their state and local officials as I have instructed FEMA to be ready to assist Hawaii and the rest of the US states and territories that could be affected.
The President later provided an update in remarks with reporters:
We currently have an aircraft carrier in Japan and another is on its way. We also have a ship en route to the Mariana Islands to assist as needed. The Defense Department is working to account for all our military personnel in Japan. U.S. embassy personnel in Tokyo have moved to an off-site location, and the State Department is working to account for and assist any and all American citizens who are in the country.
The U.S. military is mobilizing additional assets to assist with disaster response, including units stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Tsunami arrives in Pacific states

The tsunami generated by the massive earthquake that struck Japan less than twelve hours ago has begun reaching North American shores, according to local authorities, news media, and eyewitness accounts.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that tsunami waves were coming ashore, but were not powerful enough to cause the kind of catastrophic damage that we've seen in the pictures and video from northern Japan:
"The tsunami is arriving on all islands," said Gerard Fryer, a scientist with the Tsunami Warning Center. A 6-foot surges were detected in Kahululi Harbor. Fryer said a second surge was more than 7 feet at Kahului Harbor.

"There's little question that there was some damage at that level," he said.

However, no damage reports have been received yet.

John Cummings, a spokesman from the city's Department of Emergency Management, said there were "signs of inundation," on Oahu. But at this point, "nothing really major."

The city issued a notice saying that Honolulu "has been impacted by a tsunami. Be aware that inundation effects could continue for several hours. Do not go near coastal areas.

"When safe to do so, emergency responders will assess the ocean and beach conditions to determine the extent of damage and dangers."
The tsunami has also come ashore in the Aleutians, but no damage has been reported there. The Aleutians are used to getting hit by storm surges, so this tsunami won't seem too out of the ordinary.

Washington, Oregon, and California will be impacted next. Some coastal towns, such as Florence and Long Beach, have been evacuated as a precautionary measure. The tsunami is on its way and will be making its presence known within the next hour. We'll bring you live updates as we get them.

UPDATE, 7:05 AM: Some Washington school districts serving coastal communities (Cape Flattery, Ocean Beach) have decided to close for the day. Others (South Bend, Willapa Valley, Raymond, Aberdeen, Hoquaim, Tahola) are on a two-hour late start.

Audible warnings are being issued up and down the coast. Many residents and visitors have wisely chosen to move to higher ground, with some cities being described as ghost towns. Firefighters have been going door to door in some places, and reverse 911 calls have been used to warn residents by phone.

Tsunami WATCH for Left Coast upgraded to WARNING: Latest from NOAA's NWS just in

The tsunami watch previously issued for the Left Coast has just been upgraded to a tsunami warning for some communities and a tsunami advisory for others.

The most recent bulletin:
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 4
NWS WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER PALMER AK
1244 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011

THIS MESSAGE UPDATES THE ALERT STATUS TO WARNING AND ADVISORY.

...A TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA AND OREGON FROM POINT CONCEPCION CALIFORNIA TO THE OREGON-WASHINGTON BORDER...

...A TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF ALASKA FROM AMCHITKA PASS ALASKA/125 MILES W OF ADAK/ TO ATTU ALASKA...

...THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO POINT CONCEPCION CALIFORNIA...

...THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE COASTAL AREAS OF WASHINGTON - BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE OREGON-WASHINGTON BORDER TO CHIGNIK BAY ALASKA...

...THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS OF ALASKA FROM CHIGNIK BAY ALASKA TO AMCHITKA PASS ALASKA/125 MILES W OF ADAK/...

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED WHICH IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE WARNING AND/OR ADVISORY REGIONS LISTED IN THE HEADLINE. PERSONS IN LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. EVACUATIONS ARE ONLY ORDERED BY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES.
  • PERSONS IN TSUNAMI WARNING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MOVE INLAND TO HIGHER GROUND.
  • PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE WATER... OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.
If you live close to the shore, it's time to start thinking about moving to higher ground. We'll keep you posted on what evacuation measures get ordered.

UPDATE, 1:32 AM: We've heard that "reverse 911" calls are going out to some coastal Oregon residents, specifically in Tillamook County. The calls are letting residents know about the tsunami warning and the recommendation actions suggested by NOAA. The tsunami's arrival is expected there during the 7 AM hour.

Meanwhile, in our fiftieth state:
Hawaii Civil Defense is advising all residents in tsunami inundation zones to evacuate immediately.

The alert, issued at 10:38, reads "Leave all coastal evacuation zones immediately. Refer to Hawaiian Telcom or Paradise Pages for evacuation maps."

The earliest that hazardous waves could hit Hawaii is 2:59 a.m., said the agency, according to Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Ewa Beach.
If you live in Hawaii, near the water, and happen to be reading this for some reason... get to higher ground. NOW!!!!

Tsunami WATCH now in effect for Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska

According to the National Weather Service's Seattle office, a tsunami watch is is now in effect for the Left Coast, including Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska. A watch is not as significant as a warning, which means a tsunami has been detected/is imminent, but residents in coastal communities should remain vigilant and keep a television or radio on.

This is a breaking news update. We'll have more information shortly.

UPDATE: Here is the bulletin:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1207 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011

ORZ001-002-WAZ021-111615-
NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASTORIA...CANNON BEACH...TILLAMOOK... LINCOLN CITY...NEWPORT...FLORENCE...RAYMOND...LONG BEACH... CATHLAMET

1207 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011

...TSUNAMI WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH WASHINGTON...NORTH OREGON... CENTRAL OREGON COAST...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TSUNAMI WATCH FOR THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTH WASHINGTON...NORTH OREGON...CENTRAL OREGON. AT 946 PM PST A LARGE EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 8.9 HAS BEEN DETECTED ON THE EAST COAST OF JAPAN.

THE ARRIVAL TIME FOR THE INITIAL WAVE ON THE OREGON AND WASHINGTON COAST IS ESTIMATED TO OCCUR AROUND 715 AM.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION... AND WILL UPDATE THIS BULLETIN EVERY HOUR OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
UPDATE, 12:14 AM: The very latest statement from NOAA's NWS.

UPDATE, 12:52 AM: The Los Angeles Times has a story on the tsunami watch and the likely impact on the California coast.

No big waves are expected, but beaches may be cleared.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Massive earthquake, tsunami hit Japan

This sounds pretty bad:
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 rocked northeastern Japan on Friday, measuring the highest level intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic scale, in Miyagi Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Local police said many people were injured in the 2:46 p.m. quake, with reports of fires coming not only from the prefectural capital of Sendai but also from Tokyo, some 300 kilometers from Sendai, where a prolonged and powerful temblor was also felt.

The Metropolitan Police Department said many people were injured when part of the Kudan Kaikan hall in Chiyoda Ward in central Tokyo collapsed.

The agency issued a rare warning of huge tsunami for the Pacific coastal region including Iwate Prefecture. Public broadcaster NHK said a large number of cars were washed away into the sea when a tsunami hit the Kamaishi port in Iwate Prefecture.
The quake struck at 9:46 PM Pacific Time — about an hour and fifteen minutes ago, as of the time of this writing.

The United States Geological Survey is saying the quake registered 8.9 on the moment magnitude scale. It's being characterized as one of the largest earthquakes in the history of instrumental science (specifically, the seventh largest).

According to news reports, life in the city of Tokyo has come to a halt. Trains aren't running, ships are being told to stay out of port, and the skies have gone silent.

Entire cities in northern Japan have reportedly been destroyed — including, for instance, Kurihara, which has a population of 77,000 people.

As many readers know, Japan and other areas adjacent to the Pacific Ocean comprise a geological region known as the Ring of Fire. This horseshoe-shaped region is home to nearly three quarters of the world's active volcanoes, and it is also where a significant percentage of earthquakes strike. This is principally due to plate tectonics; a lot of subduction happens at the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

When earthquakes strike off a coastline, the resulting displacement of water can generate a tsunami, or seismic sea wave.

Seismic sea waves pose no hazard to ships out on the open ocean, but they can cause immense damage once they reach the coast. Contrary to what some movies would have you believe, tsunami do not roll ashore like a giant wind wave.

The phenomenon is more like a massive, unstoppable flood. Picture a river flooding a valley after breaking apart a dam... that's what a tsunami is like.

A tsunami warning is in effect for Russia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Taiwan, and several other nations not far from the epicenter. A tsunami watch is presently in effect for Hawaii and a number of Pacific Island nations. NOAA initially said there was no danger to Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, or British Columbia. However, a tsunami watch is now in effect for the entire Left Coast.

Here are thee vital stats for the quake, automatically generated by the United States Geological Survey USGS computer system:

Magnitude8.9
Date-Time
Location38.322°N, 142.369°E
Depth24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program
RegionNEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
178 km (110 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan
178 km (110 miles) ENE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
373 km (231 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan
Location Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 13.5 km (8.4 miles); depth fixed by location program

Again, this looks pretty bad. One of the biggest disasters to strike Japan in its history, for sure. We'll bring you reaction and response in the coming hours, including President Obama's statement when it is released.

UPDATE, 11:52 PM: A tsunami warning is now in effect for Hawaii. Residents there should prepare to head for higher ground.

The Honolulu Advertiser has more:
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami watch at 7:56 p.m. after the quake struck 231 miles northeast of Tokyo. The watch was upgraded to a more serious warning about 9:30 p.m.

"A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," the agency said. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."

The warning center said wave heights cannot be predicted, but the first wave may not be the largest.

The earliest that hazardous waves could hit Hawaii is 2:59 a.m., said the agency, based in Ewa Beach.

The agency said it will issue updates at least hourly.

"We have been in touch with Civil Defense, but we're in watch mode now," said Donalyn Dela Cruz, a spokeswoman for Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
Residents of the Hawaiian Islands should begin preparing to evacuate immediately now that the tsunami watch has been upgraded to a warning.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Keep your dirty laundry

We can do the innuendo
We can dance and sing
When it's said and done, we haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king
Give us dirty laundry
— Last verse from Don Henley's 1981 hit Dirty Laundry

As I was driving home this afternoon, a song came on the radio that I hadn't heard in a while — a song that topped the Billboard charts in 1981 and is one of my favorite social commentary songs: Don Henley's Dirty Laundry.

The song, which is about the shallowness of local TV news, struck a particular chord with me because I'd just read an Associated Press article by Jocelyn Noveck in the newspaper this morning about the stupid media frenzy surrounding Charlie Sheen's erratic behavior and his ouster from the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men.

The article quoted from several columnists who have criticized the news networks for harping on Sheen's every word, including Jeff Jarvis, Julie Moos, and Aaron Barnhart. And then it juxtaposed their perspective with this passage:
"Not at all," said ABC's Andrea Canning, when asked by media critic Howard Kurtz on CNN Sunday whether she'd had any hesitation about her extensive interview with Sheen for "20/20," which generated huge ratings. "I don't know if you can really stop the train once people are this interested in it."

And no, she replied when asked if now, the actor had had enough air time. "You know, I still think he has some things to say," she said.
Translation: We're going to ride this fake story for as long as we can, until people are so absolutely sick and tired of it that it won't bring in ratings anymore.

If our brain-dead traditional media spent more time and energy covering our country's dizzying array of economic, health, and environmental challenges (not to mention our dealings with other countries) we might be better informed as a citizenry about the challenges we collectively face. But instead of offering substantive coverage about meaningful topics, they serve up this tripe.

Charlie Sheen's ravings may be fascinating to rubbernecks, but his escapades are not news and should not be covered as a "news" story.

In our view, the coverage Sheen is getting isn't just excessive. It's unfounded.

If the people who work at ABC, CNN, CBS, and NBC had any self-respect, they'd keep this prattle out of their newscasts and newsmagazines.

But it seems they can't help themselves. They're more interested in generating revenue for their parent media conglomerates than fulfilling any journalistic responsibility they might have once professed to care about.

"News" to Les Moonves, Rupert Murdoch, Bob Iger, and Jeffrey Bewkes (the CEOs of CBS, "News" Corporation, the Walt Disney Company, and Time Warner, respectively) is just another form of entertainment.

Celebrity gossip doesn't actually have the deep appeal that the likes of Andrea Canning think it does. In 2007, the Pew Research Center for People and the Press released a survey in which almost ninety percent of respondents agreed that celebrity scandals receive too much coverage. We're not generally fond of polls here at NPI, but ninety/ten is a pretty big split, and reflects our own insights.

In the same survey, fifty four percent of respondents identified our brain-dead traditional media as the culprit behind excessive coverage of celebrities.

Are people who watch this stuff to blame, to some extent? Sure... but they're not the ones making the decisions about what to cover. They're consuming what's being produced. As any motorist who has waited to get past a car collision on the highway can attest, morbid curiosity often gets the better of people.

To quote Don Henley, singing from the perspective of the Andrea Cannings who have jobs in television, "Just give me something, something I can use/People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry."

Here's our message for Andrea Canning and her celebrity blather-obsessed colleagues: Keep your dirty laundry. We don't want to constantly hear about Lindsay's substance abuse or Britney's legal troubles.

Nor do we desire a blow-by-blow account of Charlie Sheen's verbal abuse of the cast and crew of Two and a Half Men.

What we do want is in-depth coverage of the issues that matter. Start providing that, and you'll win back at least a little of the respect that you've lost.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler shirks responsibilities to constituents

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler seems mighty comfortable taking taxpayer money without doing her job.

Last year, while the state House of Representatives was in session, then-Representative Herrera spent all of her time campaigning for Congress, while her colleagues pushed her voting button in her absence. And while The Columbian cites former state Representative Deb Wallace in its story, the charge was made by other colleagues of Herrera.

Now that she's a member of Congress, Ms. Herrera Beutler, has continued collecting a paycheck without providing a return on the investment of her constituents. As the Thurston County Democrats have pointed out:
Since taking office in January, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler has failed to represent Thurston County. Thurston County residents' phone calls have gone unreturned and their requests for meetings have been denied. Why? One constituent who called was told that, since redistricting may leave the district boundary near Rochester, the representative's office wouldn't provide services north of there. [Emphasis is mine.]
While former Congressman Brian Baird had a district offices in Olympia and Vancouver, Herrera Beutler only has staff in Vancouver. Apparently Thurston County voted for some sort of austerity project where it lost its seat in Congress last November.

This is simply unacceptable. Congresswoman Herrera Beutler represents all of the 3rd District, and not just the people who elected her. Furthermore, redistricting won't change the district she represents until 2012. Until then, she is employed by us.

While the Thurston County Democrats have passed a resolution (I'm guessing this was an Executive Board action because this wasn't on the February agenda of the Central Committee), the Congresswoman isn't likely to care about resolutions from partisan groups that oppose her.

As we've seen in Wisconsin, direct action is sometimes the only way to make elected officials take notice of the people they represent. If Congresswoman Herrera Beutler refuses to serve our part of the district, then we, her constituents, should picket her Vancouver office and demand the services we pay for.

President Obama to appoint Gary Locke as U.S. Ambassador to China tomorrow

As of tomorrow, Gary Locke (Washington's first Asian-American governor), who is currently serving as the nation's Secretary of Commerce, will be taking on a new and important role: that of Ambassador to China.

According to news reports, Locke is said to be Obama's pick to succeed Republican Jon Huntsman, who left his post as governor of Utah to take the job, but recently decided to return to the United States. One of his reasons for doing so is reportedly to form a presidential exploratory committee.

Locke was Obama's third choice for Secretary of Commerce. Initially, Obama tapped Bill Richardson, but Richardson withdrew his name from consideration. Obama then asked Republican Senator Judd Gregg to take on the job. Initially, Gregg agreed, but he reconsidered and ultimately backed out.

Locke, however, accepted, and was easily confirmed. He has been part of President Obama's cabinet for nearly two years. Now he's leaving to take over one of America's most important diplomatic posts.

The move puts an end to speculation (for now, anyway) that Locke might become the next president of the University of Washington.

It also means that President Obama will have a hole in his Cabinet to fill for the first time since the hundred days following his inauguration.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

NPI projects join the IPv6 Internet

We're pleased to announce this evening that two of NPI's most important projects have joined the IPv6 Internet, which means that they can now be accessed using the longer hexadecimal addresses that will eventually be used to locate pretty much everything on the Information Superhighway.

(If reading that first paragraph made you go, "Huh?", don't fret — bear with me. I'm going to try to explain what this means and why it's important).

A few decades ago, when the Internet was initially conceived, the people who were drawing up the blueprints for one of its most important protocols figured that an addressing system with four billion plus possibilities would be more than adequate to take care of future needs. They were wrong.

But they can be forgiven for their mistake. At the time, nobody foresaw that the U.S. military's DARPA project would turn into the most revolutionary means of communication in human history, and would take on the great importance that it has in politics, commerce, and culture.

IPv4, which stands for Internet Protocol Version 4, has served us well since it was invented in the 1970s. But its heyday is over. The time has come for the adoption of its successor, Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6.

In contrast to IPv4, which is limited to a theoretical namespace of 4.3 billion or so addresses, IPv6 has room for a theoretical 340 undecillion addresses. Exactly how many is that, you ask? This many:

340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456

An undecillion, written out, is an incredibly long number, which is why in discussions about IPv6, you may see an exponent used instead.

IPv6 was designed in the 1990s, when it became evident that we were going to outgrow IPv4 at some point. Unfortunately, the world has done a lousy job of transitioning over the new protocol (which was finalized in 1998), partly due to dithering on the part of corporations, governments, and other large institutions, and partly because IPv6 deployment is technically complex. Manufacturers of networking equipment, Internet service providers, and web hosts are now being spurred into action by the official exhaustion of IPv4.

Chances are that most of you reading this post don't have the ability to access the IPv6 Internet yet. There's no need to feel bad... most of us are in the same boat! It's going to be some time before the likes of Comcast, Verizon, Frontier, etc. roll out IPv6 support for their customers. One challenge is that networking equipment (particularly routers) will need to be replaced or upgraded. All modern operating systems are IPv6 ready, however, so you don't need to worry about buying a new computer unless you've got something really ancient.

If you're IPv6 ready all the way, try visiting Permanent Defense and the Olympia Newsriver at their new addresses, and let us know if it works!

PD is at: 2607:F298:0001:0103:0000:0000:030D:0C00

ON is at: 2607:F298:0001:0103:0000:0000:0D3A:1D1A

If you're curious as to how IPv6-ready you really are, you can visit this test site to find out. It will likely report, "No IPv6 address detected", once the test has run. Don't be disappointed if that's the case.

Permanent Defense (NPI's oldest project) and the Olympia Newsriver (NPI's newest project) are the only sites in our network to have IPv6 addresses... for now. Eventually, our core network will also resolve to an IPv6 address.

For now, PD and ON are the test pilots.

And don't worry... PD and ON will still come up for any user who is not IPv6 ready. All we've done is turn on IPv6 support. We did not turn IPv4 support off. If you type in the domain name for either project, the sites will still load and come up just fine over IPv4. Incidentally, the domain name system (DNS) has the ability to point to both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. It was designed to be flexible. For the time being, PD's and ON's domain names will only resolve via IPv4, however.