No embarrassment of riches for the rich

One of the biggest figures in Los Angeles, literally as well as metaphorically, is Shaquille O'Neal, the mighty star of the Los Angeles Lakers championship-winning basketball team. Last weekend, weary of being fouled by lesser opponents, the 7ft 1in, 24-stone O'Neal took an almighty swipe at at Brad Miller of the Chicago Bulls.

The blow, fortunately for all concerned, did not connect. A fine from the National Basketball Association was inevitable and has now duly arrived in the shape of $15,000 (£10,440). On top of that, O'Neal will be suspended for a total of three games, which will mean a further fine in the shape of lost wages to a total of around $730,000 (£508,245).

The day that Shaq's punishment was announced, it was reported that another big player, former president Bill Clinton, had just broken the record for the most expensive lecture ever given in the US. His fee from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles was reportedly $200,000 (£139,245). For this, Mr Clinton had to deliver a lecture on terrorism, have dinner and pose for pictures with whichever of the guests at the Universal Amphitheatre had paid the top ticket price of $2,500 (£1,740).

The organisers said that $200,000 for the one-night show was an exaggeration and that the actual fee was "in the neighbourhood" of $100,000 (£69,625). Still worth getting out of bed for. LA has always been fond of Bill, of course, and there were many rumours that when he left the presidency he might find himself a job with a Hollywood studio. So it was no surprise to find that more than 6,000 people in LA were prepared to pay to see him, even if not all could afford the top priced tickets which would allow them to bore their friends for years to come by showing them a photo and saying "that's me with Bill Clinton".

Clinton's theme was that world peace could only be achieved by reducing disparities in wealth. "If you really want the world you want for your kids, the United States has to be involved in a world where we share the benefits and reduce the burdens," he said, pointing out that half the world's inhabitants get by on less than $2 (£1.39) a day.

On the same day, CNN talk show host Larry King signed a new four-year deal with his employers, who were anxious that their rivals, Fox, should not poach him. His reported deal, neither confirmed nor denied, is $56m (£39m). King celebrated the deal on his programme by tackling the really big international story of the day - Prince Harry and spliffs.

By chance, as all this unfolded I was listening to my local public radio station where an academic was being interviewed about his new book on how the Scots (Adam Smith, David Hume, David Livingstone, Sean Connery etc) had effectively civilised the world. (Surely there's no serious argument about that anyway.) And it was a Scot, Andrew Carnegie, who famously said: "He who dies rich, dies disgraced."