mobile's in troubz

Life on the prized white sands of Dauphin Island, a barrier island guarding the mouth of Mobile Bay, is proceeding on two tracks right now. While National Guard troops and scores of laborers in hazmat gear and gloves fortify the island for the coming war on oil (the hay, it turns out, is meant to absorb encroaching sheen), vacationers kite-surf and loll about barefoot, peering at the heavy helicopter traffic through their bird-watching binoculars.
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“Tarballs DO NOT pose a health risk to the average person,” the bureau said in an informative Web advisory. “However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up if they encounter any on the beach.” (via)