>Simon then pushed the man into a shelf before yelling at another customer trying to purchase something from the store. >He then pulls Alba out of the chair, at which point Alba allegedly pulls out a large knife, which he plunges into Simon's neck and chest at least five times. Have you ever noticed how writers on the Internet, and in newspapers, will shift from the past tense to the present tense in an attempt to make their writing more immediate and powerful? It's a very common device that is grossly overused, and usually cannot be justified. Since these events happened in the past, the past tense is appropriate when describing them. This trite, overworked literary device is resorted to by writers without much talent. Guys, just stop it. If you are a writer reading this, don't do this. It makes you look and sound unskilled. I've noticed that this hackneyed trick is even being used in casual speech. Police chiefs, when describing crimes or arrests at news conferences, will slip into the present tense in a foredoomed effort to heighten the dramatic effect of their descriptions. It's embarrassing to listen to them.