Trendwatch: In These Economic Times...

...it's becoming increasingly difficult to write a news story without using the phrase "in these economic times." If only you could buy stock in a cliché.

A quick survey of some of the hundreds of developments in the last 24 hours of these economic times:

-Cattle rustling is on the rise. "In these economic times people are taking desperate measures, whether it's stealing, or whether they're trying to come up with money through insurance fraud," says Sheriff Joey Kyle of Christian County, Mo.

-Gambling addiction is also on the rise. "In these economic times, the line of work I am in is recession-proof," says Rob Laird, who works at a Calgary treatment center.

-Being a local TV personality in Buffalo is no longer a cushy gig. "In these economic times, veteran anchors like Channel 4's Don Postles and Jacquie Walker are being called on to report on stories," reports Alan Pergament.

-A new restaurant in Santa Fe is charging too much for breakfast. "In these economic times, Tree House could do well to drop its prices -- across its chalkboards -- a buck or two until a clientele builds up," says critic Dave Maass.

-Canadians are ignoring their elderly. "In these economic times, seniors are feeling invisible right now," says Wayne Marston, a member of Parliament.

-People are buying more store-brand infant formula. "We're lucky in that we're one of those companies that are going to thrive in these economic times because we offer value alternative," says Paul Manning of PBM Products, maker of store-brand infant formula.

-The British town of Sefton is banning unnecessary jargon from official communications. "This may be a quite light-hearted subject but it can be serious especially in these economic times when people are struggling with repossession, council and court documents," says Madge Clair of the Plain English campaign.