James Woods is an actor of some repute and well regarded at this end of the building. He did not have a script for one of the most remarkable things shown on the wall of the Conference room at Socotra HQ last night. . He had a nice place in the path of the Ventura and Malibu Santa Anna roaring wildfires. He was the second celebrity whose home was turned to ashes in a fire of mesmerizing speed and intensity.

DeMille has a medical thing this morning, so his intention had been to run the weekly “weather report” that he uses as a group slide for the various narrative lines to be composed with hard-hitting and perceptive commentary no longer than two lines in 16-point font on the Microsoft software that exists uneasily on the Apple machines the Chairman bought to avoid Microsoft products.

So, there was the usual half-hearted Thursday production of the graphic for that. Each one of the short lines is worth some discussion, even fuller accounts that help identify the forces that are generating the messaging about what they would like to impose on society. Here is a quick attempt at that, but you can see the issues.

The fires in California are nothing new, and happen with alarming regularity over the years. This may be the worst of the ones we understand, but it certainly was also the most effective in presentation on the pervasive new messaging apps. That raised discussions about forest and water management issues which have somehow transformed into manifestations of Human Kind’s search for Identity. The fire chief in Los Angeles has an impressive record in implementing crucial hiring and promotion practice for identity groups with issues.

She also failed at a physical test involving the ability to move a ladder unassisted, a routine task in fire response, but you know the challenges in effective management in times like these.

We normally start with this up front for clarity: “All this stuff is going on. We will try to figure it out over the weekend.”

That approach had to give way to the performance by James Wood, watching his multi-million Malibu home engulfed in roaring fire without a script was an impressive demonstration of the technology that can rush high-quality video equipment to provide real drama on situations that could have used equal attention to making sure the fire hydrants worked, the hoses unfurled and the ladders could be moved by those who might need to do so..

Mr. Woods could tell you about it, maybe as an intro to that great clip from the Governor of California when his crews blew a hole in the bottom of the Copco No. 1 dam along the Klamath River. That is up by the Oregon border, one of the four dams he was committed to destroy to save some marginal fishing income for indigenous peoples whose rights are deeply respected by those who believe in moving ladders even if they can’t actually do it themselves.

It is about fairness, after all. You can ask Mr. Woods about that. His performance was great.

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