Shopping spree

Shopping spree

“Black Friday” is becoming “Black Thursday,” as many retailers plan to open their doors as early as 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

This cements Thanksgiving’s status as the most quintessentially American holiday of all: a gluttonous feast, followed by a late-night stampede at the strip mall in pursuit of deep discounts on Let’s Rock Elmo.

Lucky pup: A New Jersey family has adopted a beagle mix that somehow emerged unscathed from a carbon monoxide-filled gas chamber at an Alabama dog pound.

Now, if only the miracle pooch could buy Powerball tickets…

Good things: One of Martha Stewart’s 326 Thanksgiving craft ideas are do-it-yourself place mats that children can color at the kids’ table. She promises the place mats will keep the kiddies occupied for at least 20 minutes.

Here’s an even better Thanksgiving craft project: Have the kids color some kraft paper, then wrap that around some tin cans. The result are festive receptacles into which the wee ones can surreptitiously spit yucky green-bean casserole. You’re welcome, Martha.

— Mark Carlson, Herald staff