BusinessWeek Online – When it comes to U.S. consumers, it’s important to remember that what they tell survey-takers, and what they actually do, are often two very different things. The Nov. 27 release of the Conference Board’s closely watched consumer confidence survey posted an even bigger November drop than economists had expected, indicating rising gasoline prices, housing market woes, and credit-market worries may be taking their toll. And yet the report comes on the heels of data showing robust retail sales for the Black Friday holiday shopping weekend, and probably for the month as a whole.