The annual stampede to the stores began in earnest this morning - oh, and there were shoppers there, too. Black Friday is always one of the most over-reported business stories of the year - and in truth a relatively pointless exercise when it comes to getting any gauge on the overall holiday season. Even so, the reporters are out there, asking customers about what they're buying and mall managers about how full their parking lots are. What else is there to cover on the day after Thanksgiving? Random sampling rarely means all that much, other than to point out the obvious: That there were long lines waiting to get into the stores early this morning, that more folks are at the discounters, and that electronics items are moving faster than apparel. Some preliminary numbers might be available later today, and then they'll keep tricking in over the weekend. Keep in mind that Black Fridays are not the busiest days of the holiday season and that they're often not indicative of how the next four weeks will go. Here are early stories from the LAT and NYT.