Oops, 300 whole characters. So much better than I thought.

The crappy thing about this format: Having to say everything in 130 character posts. I'm going to keep experimenting here, but my current take is that this limitation is horseshit. Enough space for chunks, not enough to build more than a trail of spoor.

Thanks to Claude for some writing help. Still lots of polishing to do, feedback welcome!

As the shepherd watched their neighbors toil under the yoke of servitude, they sighed and spoke these words: "A wolf may dress its hunger in the cloth of fellowship, but its appetite recognizes no friends."

Moral: A wolf is never on your side.

Then came the night of the new moon, when darkness lay thick upon the land. The wolf and its pack fell upon the flock, devouring every last sheep. With their livelihood destroyed, the villagers fell into such debt that they were forced to sell themselves into bondage to survive.

Each day, the shepherd pleaded anew, but the wolf's promises grew grander. The villagers, convinced of the wolf's sincerity, began leaving their gates unlocked and their sheep unguarded.

But the wolf merely shook its magnificent mane. "This shepherd doesn't want you to succeed," it growled. "He's grown rich from your property while keeping you weak. But I understand you. When your flocks graze freely upon the commons, you will prosper."

The shepherd, who knew well the ways of wolves, rushed to warn the villagers. "The wolf seeks only to deceive you," they cried. "Its promises are as empty as a winter larder!"

"Look at your sheep," the wolf would proclaim, "They could be the greatest flock in all the kingdoms, but these shepherds are holding you back."

One day, while watching their flock, the shepherd spied a wolf lurking at the forest's edge. The wolf, being cunning, did not immediately attack. Instead, it began holding court at the forest's edge, drawing crowds with its bold declarations.

Hm, maybe this would be some form of retainer fee to a law firm that would agree to sue for wrongful death under certain circumstances.

You could probably easily find some shyster to take your money for that because they’re going to be bound by the same definitions of medical necessity and would never become liable.

Yes, but not in that way. They get insured for having to pay unexpectedly high claims their actuaries didn’t expect. Similar for home insurance and disasters like the LA fires and Helene.