COLUMBIA, Maryland : The U.S. holiday shopping season got off to a slow start as consumers, squeezed by the economic crisis, bought carefully, and many said they would wait for better deals closer to Christmas. Early results from the “Black Friday Source: www.iht.com Black Friday shoppers hold off on gadgets - Nashville Tennessean SYRACUSE, N.Y. Consumer electronics have long been among the most popular holiday gifts, with fierce competition among shoppers for day-after-Thanksgiving deals on