When balls of tar started washing up in Manhattan Beach just days after the 105,000 gallon oil spill a hundred miles to the north in Santa Barbara, people were quick to associate the two incidents. But officials balked, saying that it was unlikely that the Santa Barbara oil was landing so far south. But now there's conclusive evidence that the oil is the same. Not that we needed more proof that oil spills are always a little worse than you think they are.