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 [ ERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=363)

#  Cautious Optimism

January 02 2023

Written by Eric Preven.

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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - We should be optimistic because: Telling the Truth often wins the day.

Yes, but: Some people adopt a policy of lying.

We should be optimistic because: The Truth is clear and we are blessed with the wherewithal to raise it up.

Yes, but: Lawyers are unscrupulous and will engage in a scorched earth policy to bury ordinary Angelenos.

We should be optimistic because: Transparency is a good disinfectant and dries up all the rain.

Yes, but: Exposed Liars become infuriated and even more deranged.

![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Jan-2023/001l.jpg)

**"Rainbow"** |

[One World: Together at Home ](https://youtu.be/9TI3jpnWYNY)

By Kasey Musgraves

When it rains, it pours

But you didn't even notice

it ain't rainin' anymore

It's hard to breathe when all you know is

The struggle of stayin' above the risin' water line

Well, the sky has finally opened

The rain and wind stopped blowin'

But you're stuck out in the same ol' storm again

You hold tight to your umbrella

Well, darlin', I'm just tryin' to tell ya

That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

If you could see what I see,

you'd be blinded by the colors

Yellow, red, and orange, and green,

and at least a million others

So tie up the bow, take off your coat,

and take a look around

 'Cause the sky has finally opened

The rain and wind stopped blowin'

But you're stuck out in the same ol' storm again

You hold tight to your umbrella

Well, darlin', I'm just tryin' to tell ya

That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

 Oh, tie up the bow, take off your coat,

and take a look around Everything is alright now

'Cause the sky has finally opened

The rain and wind stopped blowin'

But you're stuck out in the same ol' storm again

Let go of your umbrella

'Cause, darlin', I'm just trying to tell ya

That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

Yeah, there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

Mm, mm, mm

It'll all be alright

**Help Wanted:**

Seeking unprincipled, unethical, immoral, amoral, conscienceless, untrustworthy, shameless, reprobate, exploitative, corrupted attorney for aggressive litigation.

*(Beep) Hi, I got your message. It's \[Redacted\]. I appreciate the civility. I’ve handled a lot of neighbor-versus-neighbor disputes. They typically start with something small and then escalate and escalate and frequently involve conduct that is uncivilized.*

*I’ve seen people putting up video cameras in other people’s bedrooms. I’ve seen people buying smokers and smoking out their neighbors.*

*One case, with a billionaire and a millionaire out in Malibu. One person actually flew helicopters over their neighbor's wedding. Throughout the ceremony.*

*I’ve seen everything and anything from dogs being let loose on somebody to running a chipper/shredder all day long, to making video recordings. Name-calling. Harassment.*

*It escalates and usually, it starts off with the people who live there and they discuss it with their immediate relatives and the relatives get involved and it escalates.*

*When I tell you I’ve seen these cases escalate I’m aware of a case where one neighbor went and took a gun and killed the other neighbor.*

*My practice is to try to diffuse and resolve the dispute. That’s what my practice is.*

*To try and get both sides to take a step back. I’m not a mediator. My practice is not to escalate.*

*Obviously, my email yesterday was aggressive, in response to aggression. It’s sort of a way of saying, look, dude, we can both escalate.*

*My preference is not to, my preference is to get to the genesis of the dispute, identify what the legal issues are, and if we can resolve them amicably, negotiate it out, when both sides really understand what the legal issues are and can accept that, then, it can truly be resolved.*

*Oftentimes, in these cases, one side won’t accept what their legal rights are and they have to actually have a judge tell them what their rights are.*

*And that can be really expensive or something where it's not that expensive.*

*But it really depends on the lawyers and the parties themselves how they want to conduct it.*

*I’ll stop and allow you to comment.*

*(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch. The opinions expressed by Eric Preven are solely his and not the opinions of CityWatch)*

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