2/11/03

LC030211

VAL ZAVALA>> TONIGHT ON LIFE AND TIMES --
 
JESS MARLOW>> A MEDICAL MYSTERY. WHAT’S BEHIND THE UNEXPLAINED SURGE IN PREMATURE BIRTHS? IT’S A LIFE-THREATENING CRISIS FOR THE INFANTS AND PURE AGONY FOR THE PARENTS.

KATHRYN DONALD>> BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE. IT WAS REALLY SCARY. YOU KNOW, SHE WAS AT TWENTY-SEVEN WEEKS AND THAT FIRST MONTH WAS JUST TOTAL HELL.

VAL>> AND THEN A JOURNALIST WITH A FONDNESS FOR DANGER. HE TALKED WITH THE TALIBAN, WAS KIDNAPPED ON THE BORDER OF COLOMBIA, AND NOW HE’S HEADED FOR IRAQ.

JESS>> PLUS, THE SWEETEST LITTLE SHOW IN LOS ANGELES. EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CHOCOLATE.

VAL>> IT’S ALL STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TONIGHT’S LIFE AND TIMES.

LIFE AND TIMES IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

VAL>> IT’S THE MEDICAL CRISIS MOST OF US HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT, A BIG SURGE IN BABIES BORN PREMATURELY.

JESS>> AND THE SIDE EFFECTS CAN LAST A LIFETIME. A HIGHER RISK OF BLINDNESS AND RETARDATION ARE JUST TWO OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. DOCTORS HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RECORD OF SAVING THESE INFANTS, BUT AS GAY YEE REPORTS, MANY PARENTS WONDER WHAT KIND OF LIFE LIES AHEAD FOR THOSE CHILDREN?

GAY YEE>> THE NEONATAL UNIT AT CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER HAS BECOME A SECOND HOME FOR KATHRYN DONALD AND HER HUSBAND, DAVID STANLEY. THEIR BABY, ELIZABETH, OR ELLIE, AS THEY’VE TAKEN TO CALLING HER, WAS BORN THREE MONTHS EARLY ON NOVEMBER 9. KATHRYN SAYS HER DOCTOR HAD CALLED HER PREGNANCY BORINGLY NORMAL JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE.

KATHRYN DONALD>> I MEAN, THE BABY’S GROWTH WAS PERFECT, MY WEIGHT GAIN WAS FINE, EVERYTHING WAS FINE.

GAY YEE>> BUT SUDDENLY KATHRYN WAS IN THE HOSPITAL UNDERGOING AN EMERGENCY C-SECTION. A PREVIOUS INJURY HAD CAUSED HER UTERUS TO RUPTURE. AS ONE MEDICAL TEAM WORKED ON KATHRYN, ANOTHER ATTENDED TO THE BABY.

KATHRYN DONALD>> SHE HAD NO HEARTBEAT AND NO PULSE. I SAW THEM LIFT THIS BLUE THING OUT AND I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING. ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS HER BECAUSE I HAD AN EPIDURAL AND I WAS AWAKE DURING THIS WHOLE THING. I’M SO GLAD WE WERE HERE, YOU KNOW, BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE. IT WAS REALLY SCARY. SHE WAS AT TWENTY-SEVEN WEEKS AND THAT FIRST MONTH WAS JUST TOTAL HELL.

GAY YEE>> ELLIE HAD A SERIES OF CRISES. BREATHING DIFFICULTIES, HEART SURGERY, A BRAIN BLEED, AND NOW THERE ARE FEEDING PROBLEMS. SHE IS ONE OF AN INCREASING NUMBER OF AMERICAN BABIES BORN TOO EARLY. THERE’S BEEN A TWENTY-SEVEN PERCENT INCREASE IN THE RATE OF PREMATURE BIRTH OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS AND TODAY NEARLY TWELVE PERCENT OF AMERICAN BABIES ARE BORN BEFORE THEY SHOULD BE.

BALAJI GOVINDASWAMI, MD>> ALTHOUGH WE HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AT TAKING CARE OF SMALLER BABIES, WE HAVE NOT ACHIEVED A GREAT DEAL OF SUCCESS WHEN THE BABIES ARE VERY SMALL, UNDER A POUND AND A HALF. THE OUTCOME DATA HAVE NOT CHANGED THAT DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. FOR THE VERY TINY BABY, THE BABIES WHO SURVIVE, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS FOR LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS.

GAY YEE>> BALAJI GOVINDASWAMI IS A NEONATOLOGIST AT CEDARS-SINAI AND PART OF A NEW MARCH OF DIMES CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT PREMATURE BIRTH. ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO IMPROVE CARE FOR PREMATURE BABIES AND ANOTHER FOCUS IS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CAUSES OF PREMATURITY. IN ABOUT HALF OF THE CASES, DOCTORS HAVE NO IDEA WHY A BABY IS BORN TOO EARLY.

BALAJI GOVINDASWAMI, MD>> SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE PREVENTABLE. IF WE KNEW THE CAUSES, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREVENT THEM. NOT KNOWING THE CAUSES PRECLUDES THE ABILITY TO PREVENT.

GAY YEE>> CYNTHIA BRAYBOY KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THE FRUSTRATION OF HAVING NO IDEA WHY TWO OF HER THREE CHILDREN WERE BORN PREMATURELY. TEN YEARS AGO WHEN SHE WAS FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD, SHE SUDDENLY WENT INTO LABOR.

CYNTHIA BRAYBOY>> I WAS DOING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO DO. PRENATAL VISITS, TAKING PRENATAL VITAMINS, REDUCING STRESS, YOU KNOW, JUST EATING RIGHT, DOING EVERYTHING.

GAY YEE>> BABY DANIEL WAS BORN WEIGHING A POUND AND LIVED FOR ONLY FIVE HOURS.

CYNTHIA BRAYBOY>> HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BABY AND IT SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO HOME WITH A BABY, BUT WE DIDN’T.

GAY YEE>> FOUR YEARS LATER, CYNTHIA GAVE BIRTH TO A HEALTHY, FULL-TERM BOY NAMED SAMUEL. SHE HOPED HER THIRD PREGNANCY WOULD HAVE THE SAME COURSE, BUT INSTEAD SHE WENT INTO LABOR AND DELIVERED HER NOW THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, JORDAN, FOURTEEN WEEKS EARLY. AT BIRTH, JORDAN WEIGHED JUST UNDER TWO POUNDS.

CYNTHIA BRAYBOY>> THEY WERE JUST SAYING THAT SHE WAS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE FOR, YOU KNOW, A PREEMIE. THEY STILL HAD TO WATCH HER FOR THE BASIC THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE BRAIN BLEEDS.

GAY YEE>> CYNTHIA SAYS SHE AND HER HUSBAND WORRIED EVERY DAY OF THE TWO MONTHS JORDAN SPENT IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT LONG BEACH MEMORIAL.

CYNTHIA BRAYBOY>> EVERY TIME YOU WALKED IN, YOU DIDN’T KNOW IF THEY WERE GOING TO SAY, OKAY, JORDAN TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORST, OR WE MISSED SOMETHING.

GAY YEE>> TODAY JORDAN IS AN ACTIVE AND HEALTHY CHILD WITH NO SIGN OF ANY LONG-TERM PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM HER PREMATURITY. BUT CYNTHIA HAS BECOME ACTIVE IN THE MARCH OF DIMES CAMPAIGN WITH THE HOPE THAT OTHER MOTHERS MAY NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT SHE DID. NANCY DEMETRIADES KNOWS HOW IT FEELS. SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH TWIN GIRLS WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH TWO MONTHS EARLY.

NANCY DEMETRIADES>> IT WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE. MY PREGNANCY SEEMED TO BE GOING PERFECTLY NORMAL.

GAY YEE>> NANCY WOKE UP IN LABOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

NANCY DEMETRIADES>> WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEY GAVE ME DRUGS THAT TRIED TO STOP, YOU KNOW, THE LABOR FROM CONTINUING AND IT DIDN’T WORK AND I HAD THE BABIES BY THE END OF THE DAY.

GAY YEE>> ONE OF THE TWINS IS NOW HOME AND THE OTHER IS LIKELY TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL SOON.

NANCY DEMETRIADES>> WE’RE JUST SO FORTUNATE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE TODAY, BUT IT’S A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. THIS IS A WHOLE WORLD I NEVER KNEW EXISTED UNTIL, OF COURSE, WE WERE PUT IN THIS POSITION.

GAY YEE>> AND SOME PARENTS WILL BE LESS FORTUNATE THAN NANCY AND HER HUSBAND, WHOSE CHILDREN ARE EXPECTED TO DO WELL.

BALAJI GOVINDASWAMI, MD>> THE BABIES WHO DO WELL ARE A SOURCE OF IMMENSE JOY FOR US. WE CANNOT FORGET THE PARENTS AND THE FAMILIES OF THE BABIES WHO DON’T DO SO WELL. THE PARENTS OF THESE INFANTS HAVE SOMETIMES RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF PROVIDING THIS INTENSITY OF CARE AND SOME PARENTS FEEL TRAPPED AND FEEL LIKE A PRISON SENTENCE HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON THEM FOR YEARS.

GAY YEE>> KATHRYN DONALD AND HER HUSBAND DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ELLIE’S FUTURE MAY HOLD.

KATHRYN DONALD>> SHE DOES HAVE A LITTLE BRAIN DAMAGE FROM THE BLEED, BUT BECAUSE SHE’S A PREEMIE, WE DON’T KNOW. WE JUST DON’T KNOW AND THAT’S THE TERRIFYING PART. SO YOU JUST KIND OF HAVE TO BEAR UP YOUR COURAGE AND GO, OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO WORK WITH HER AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. YOU KNOW, WE’RE LUCKY WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD, SO WE’RE JUST THANKFUL SHE’S WITH US AND SHE’S GREAT. SHE’S SO GREAT.

JESS>> JUST IN RECENT DAYS, DOCTORS SAY THEY HAVE FOUND THE FIRST REAL TREATMENT TO OFFSET THE SOARING INCREASE IN EARLY DELIVERIES. THEY SAY THE HORMONE PROGESTERONE CAN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE CHANCE OF PREMATURE BIRTH. NOT EXACTLY A CURE, BUT AT LEAST A GREAT CAUSE FOR HOPE.

VAL>> TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES, CUTTING THROUGH TRAFFIC ON A HIGH-TECH BUS. COULD THIS BE THE ANSWER TO L.A.’S GRIDLOCK?

>> THE TRAVEL TIME ON THIS ROUTE WAS TWO HOURS. WE CUT THIRTY MINUTES OFF OF THAT TRAVEL TIME. WE CUT TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OFF OF THE TRAVEL TIME, AND IT’S HUGE.

JESS>> HE MAKES A LIVING BY GOING TO THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS PLACES. AFGHANISTAN, CHECHNYA AND COLUMBIA. PLACES WHERE WARLORDS AND DRUG LORDS RULE, BUT ROBERT PELTON ENCOUNTERED A NEW LEVEL OF RISK LAST MONTH WHEN HE WAS KIDNAPPED BY A COLOMBIAN DEATH SQUAD. IT HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS ON ASSIGNMENT FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.

VAL>> PELTON WAS HELD FOR NINE DAYS. NOW ULTIMATELY, HIS EXPERIENCE AND KNOW-HOW SAVED HIM AND TWO TRAVELING COMPANIONS. LATE LAST MONTH, HE RETURNED TO HIS HOME IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT PELTON IS ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TO HIS NEXT DANGEROUS TRIP AND HE’S HERE NOW TO TELL US ABOUT HIS ADVENTURES. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES.

ROBERT PELTON>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

JESS>> WHAT DRIVES YOU INTO THESE PLACES?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, I’VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE I WAS NINETEEN AND I FIND THAT I LEARN A LOT. OF COURSE, I WRITE MY BOOK WHICH IS A GUIDE TO WAR ZONES EVERY YEAR, SO I HAVE TO KEEP UP ON WHAT’S GOING ON IN THESE PLACES.

VAL>> NOW YOU WROTE A GUIDE TO WAR ZONES, WHICH IMPLIES THAT OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO GO WHERE YOU’VE BEEN? (LAUGHTER) I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S ALWAYS TRUE.

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HEADING OFF TO WAR ZONES, WHETHER THEY’RE SOLDIERS OR WHETHER THEY’RE NGOS, OR --

VAL>> -- OH, I SEE. WRITTEN FOR OTHER PROFESSIONALS OR OTHER --

ROBERT PELTON>> -- IT’S CALLED “THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS PLACES” AND, OF COURSE, THOSE COUNTRIES ARE INCREASING EVERY DAY.

JESS>> AND SOME OF THOSE COUNTRIES INCLUDE, CERTAINLY, AFGHANISTAN WHERE YOU SPENT A GOOD BIT OF TIME.

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, I WAS PRIVILEGED TO HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN AFGHANISTAN. I WAS VERY INTRIGUED BY THE WAR AND, OF COURSE, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME COVERAGE FOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WHEN I WAS THERE, PARTICULARLY CNN.

VAL>> IN FACT, YOU MADE A REAL NAME FOR YOURSELF BECAUSE IT WAS WHEN YOU WERE IN AFGHANISTAN, YOU WERE THE JOURNALIST WHO GOT THE INTERVIEW WITH LINDH?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, ACTUALLY, I FOUND HIM AND I WENT TO GIVE HIM MEDICAL CARE AND I BROUGHT ALONG A GREEN BERET MEDIC TO LOOK AFTER HIS WOUNDS. THE INTERVIEW WAS JUST ME TALKING TO HIM. I WASN’T REALLY --

VAL>> HOW DID YOU FIND HIM?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, THERE HAD BEEN A MAJOR BATTLE RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE I WAS STAYING AT A PLACE CALLED QALA JANGI. I HAD ASKED THE COMMANDER THERE TO INTERVIEW THE SURVIVORS AND AMONGST THOSE SURVIVORS WAS THIS AMERICAN NAMED ABDUL HAMID, ACTUALLY, WAS HIS NAME AT THE TIME. I HEARD THERE WAS AN AMERICAN. I WENT OVER TO RENDER AID AND TO SEE IF HE WANTED TO CONTACT HIS PARENTS AND THE INTERVIEW WAS ME TALKING TO HIM OVER THE PERIOD OF HIS MEDICAL TREATMENT.

JESS>> AND YOU’VE SEEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM SINCE. IN FACT, YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THE TRIAL?

ROBERT PELTON>> YEAH, WHEN HE GOT BACK TO THE STATES, THE STORY CHANGED DRAMATICALLY, OF COURSE, AND LAWYERS HAVE A WAY OF DOING THAT. APPARENTLY, I WAS AN AGENT OF THE GOVERNMENT, I'D COERCED HIM, I MEAN, YOU NAME IT. THANKFULLY, CNN DEFENDED ME IN THAT CASE AND WALKER THOUGHT IT WAS MORE APPROPRIATE TO COP A PLEA.

VAL>> YOU MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY SURPRISED TO SEE AN AMERICAN AMONGST ALL THESE AFGHANIS.

ROBERT PELTON>> ACTUALLY, IT WAS THE SECOND AMERICAN MUJAHED THAT I TRAVELED WITH. I WENT TO CHECHNYA WITH AN AMERICAN WHO WAS TRAINED IN BIN LADEN'S CAMPS. HE WENT TO FIGHT FOR THE REBELS. IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR AMERICANS TO FIGHT IN THESE WARS.

JESS>> IT IS UNUSUAL FOR AN AMERICAN TO WANT TO GO TO THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES IN THE WORLD AND OCCASIONALLY TO TAKE WILLING PEOPLE ALONG WITH HIM. YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE PANAMA-COLOMBIAN BORDER IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THAT.

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, I'M FAMILIAR WITH COLOMBIA. I'VE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES. I WANTED TO CROSS THE DERRING GAP WHICH IS AN AREA OF WILDERNESS AND, OF COURSE, AN AREA FREQUENTED BY LEFT-WING AND RIGHT-WING --

JESS>> -- AND RARELY VISITED BY VISITING AMERICANS?

ROBERT PELTON>> VERY RARELY, YEAH, VERY RARELY BECAUSE THEY KIDNAP THEM. I INVITED TWO YOUNG PEOPLE, TWENTY-TWO YEAR OLDS, TO COME WITH ME. I WAS WRITING A STORY FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE AND I --

JESS>> -- THEY WERE, WHAT, BACKPACKERS?

ROBERT PELTON>> YEAH, THEY WERE JUST BACKPACKERS. BUT THEY WANTED TO DO IT AND THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT WHETHER I WENT WITH THEM OR NOT, SO I'D RATHER THEY WENT WITH ME THAN JUST CHARGE OFF.

JESS>> TELL US ABOUT THE CAPTURE.

ROBERT PELTON>> WE HAD STUMBLED -- THERE WERE 150 PARAMILITARIES ON THE WAY TO INVADE PANAMA AND WE WALKED INTO AN AMBUSH. THEY HAD KILLED AN INDIAN THAT WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE TRAIL, SO WE DECIDED, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF MY COACHING, THAT WE WOULD WALK INTO THE AMBUSH RATHER THAN FLEE.

VAL>> NOW EXPLAIN THAT. WHY WOULD YOU WALK INTO THIS AMBUSH? YOUR GUIDES TOOK OFF --

ROBERT PELTON>> -- WELL, MY EXPERIENCE IN COMBAT IS, WHEN YOU'RE AMBUSHED, THEY WANT YOU TO FLEE AND THAT PUSHES YOU EITHER INTO A KILLING ZONE OR AN AREA WITH LANDMINES AND PEOPLE WILL CHASE YOU AND HUNT YOU DOWN. WHEREAS IF YOU WALK DIRECTLY INTO THE AMBUSH, THEY HAVE TO STOP. IF YOU'RE NOT ARMED AND YOU'RE REALLY NOT COMBATANTS, THEY TYPICALLY WILL HOLD YOU AND TRY TO IDENTIFY YOU.

VAL>> AND YOU DID SOMETHING ELSE. YOU MADE A LOT OF NOISE AND YOU SPOKE ENGLISH.

ROBERT PELTON>> YEAH. WE MADE DARN SURE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM BASEBALL SCORES TO BAD JOKES TO MAKE SURE WE WERE PERCEIVED AS AMERICANS OR TOURISTS, BUT IT STILL WAS PRETTY INTENSE. THEY'D JUST KILLED PEOPLE. WHEN YOU WALK INTO A GROUP OF MEN THAT HAVE JUST KILLED PEOPLE, IT'S NOT ALL KISSES AND HUGS.

JESS>> AND BEING AN AMERICAN DIDN'T GUARANTEE YOU'D BE RECEIVED AS A FRIEND.

ROBERT PELTON>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A MYTH. WHEN PEOPLE SHOOT AT YOU, THEY DON'T CHECK YOUR PASSPORT FIRST. THEY KNOW YOU'RE A FOREIGNER, BUT THEY DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE FROM.

VAL>> SO THEY HELD YOU FOR NINE DAYS. WHAT HAPPENED DURING THOSE NINE DAYS?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, ESSENTIALLY, THEY KEPT US OUT OF THE LOOP BECAUSE THEY WENT IN TO INVADE PANAMA. HAD THEY RELEASED US, WE WOULD HAVE TOLD THE AUTHORITIES AND, OF COURSE, THE AUTHORITIES WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT 150 ARMED MEN WERE ON THEIR WAY TO PANAMA TO ATTACK THESE TWO VILLAGES. WE WERE NOT MISTREATED. WE WERE NOT THREATENED OR BEATEN, BUT IT WAS --

VAL>> -- IN FACT, THEY FED YOU A LOT. FIVE MEALS A DAY?

ROBERT PELTON>> YEAH, BUT RICE ON A BANANA LEAF GETS OLD REAL QUICK (LAUGHTER).

JESS>> (LAUGHTER) EVEN FIVE TIMES A DAY.

VAL>> BUT YOU WERE TREATED WELL?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, I KNOW THE LEADER OF THE PARAMILITARIES AND IT TOOK A WHILE FOR THEM TO EVEN ASK US WHO WE WERE, WHICH KIND OF BOTHERED ME BECAUSE, ONCE THEY FOUND OUT WHO I WAS, IT WAS LIKE, OH, YOU'RE THAT GUY THAT SET UP THE INTERVIEW WITH OUR LEADER. SO IT WAS REALLY HUMOROUS BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE WHY DID YOU HOLD US FOR TEN DAYS? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN PEACE TALKS WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND WE WERE BUSY AND --

JESS>> -- NO RANSOM SUGGESTED?

ROBERT PELTON>> NO. THE RIGHT-WING PARAMILITARIES DO NOT KIDNAP AMERICANS. THEY LEFT-WING FARC DO. THANKFULLY, THAT WAS WHO WE RAN INTO. WE DID RUN INTO A GROUP OF FARC, BUT THEY WERE -- YOU KNOW, WE JUST CHATTED WITH THEM FOR A WHILE AND KEPT ON OUR WAY.

VAL>> SO HOW DID YOU GET RELEASED?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH. WE WERE ORIGINALLY HELD BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE WHAT THE HECK ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE? THEN IT WAS LIKE, WELL, WE CAN SHOW THE GOVERNMENT HOW NICE WE ARE BY TAKING CARE OF THEM. IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T REALLY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. WE'D LIKE TO BE LET GO. SO THEN THEY SAID, WELL, WE'RE HOLDING THEM FOR THE PROTECTION AND THEN --

VAL>> -- FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION?

ROBERT PELTON>> YEAH, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE DOING JUST FINE UNTIL WE WERE KIDNAPPED. THEN THEY FINALLY GOT TIRED OF THAT AND SAID LET'S LET THEM GO BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LOOK VERY GOOD TO HOLD THEM TOO LONG, SO THEY LET US GO AFTER TEN DAYS.

JESS>> WERE YOU AWARE OF THE TWO LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTERS WHO WERE KIDNAPPED?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, THAT'S A VERY STRANGE STORY. SCOTT DALTON WHO WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE ELN WAS SUPPOSED TO COME WITH ME ON THIS TRIP. HE IS THE ONLY JOURNALIST THAT I KNOW THAT HAS A HUNDRED PERCENT CHANCE OF BEING KIDNAPPED. HE RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL A HALF HOUR BEFORE HE WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE ELN SAYING, OH, PELTON WAS KIDNAPPED. HE WAS THEN KIDNAPPED. THEN THE FARC OVERHEARD ON THE RADIO THAT HE WAS KIDNAPPED AND THEY CHARGED OFF TO KIDNAP HIM, SO IT WAS A VERY STRANGE WEEK IN COLOMBIA.

VAL>> OH, MY GOODNESS, IT WAS ALMOST COORDINATED.

ROBERT PELTON>> NOW HE WAS HELD FOR ELEVEN DAYS AND MY FRIENDS AND I WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY TO GET HIM RELEASED.

VAL>> YOU GO TO THESE DANGEROUS PLACES, BUT YOU SEEM SO, I MUST SAY, KIND OF CAVALIER ABOUT OH, YEAH, WE WERE KIDNAPPED AND I DIDN'T REALLY THINK WE WERE GOING TO BE KILLED. BUT IS IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR ABILITY TO GET YOURSELF OUT OF ANY TIGHT SITUATION?

ROBERT PELTON>> YEAH, I THINK I'M FAMILIAR WITH THESE REGIONS. I'M NOT A LOCAL CAMPESINO. I DON'T GET MY HEAD CHOPPED OFF WITH A MACHETE BECAUSE THESE ARE LOCAL WARS, BUT I DON'T EVER TAKE RISKS THAT WOULD RESULT IN MY DEATH. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN IN MANY WARS AND IN MANY CLOSE SITUATIONS, BUT TYPICALLY I TRY TO LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN ABOUT THE SITUATION AND I DON'T DO STUPID THINGS.

JESS>> AS A JOURNALIST, TOO, I WOULD ASSUME THAT YOU TELL THEM, LOOK, WE'RE HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS YOU DO, WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, YOU JUST WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEM. DID THAT WORK?

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, YES, BECAUSE, DON'T FORGET, I'D CONTACTED NOT ONLY THE LEFT-WING. I'D INTERVIEWED ALL THE LEADERS OF THE LEFT-WING GROUPS, BUT ALSO I'D CONTACTED THE LEADER OF THE RIGHT-WING GROUP BEFORE I LEFT. IT TOOK THEM A WHILE TO PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER THAT I WAS THE SAME PERSON THAT HAD CONTACTED THEM. BUT I WOULD NEVER, AS THESE BACKPACKERS DID, JUST CHARGE OFF INTO A WAR ZONE (LAUGHTER).

JESS>> WELL, GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK.

ROBERT PELTON>> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

VAL>> ROBERT PELTON, BEST OF LUCK IN IRAQ AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPORTING AND, NO DOUBT, SOME SURPRISING INTERVIEWS. THANK YOU.

ROBERT PELTON>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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JESS>> THE L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF IS TAKING A BIT OF HEAT FOR USING A NAUGHTY WORD AND THAT HAS PATT MORRISON WONDERING WHETHER WE'RE ALL A BIT TOO TOUCHY. IT'S TONIGHT'S INFINITELY MORRISON.

PATT MORRISON>> SENATOR WILLIAM PROXMIRE USED TO HAND OUT GOLDEN FLEECE AWARDS FOR THE QUESTIONABLE USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY LIKE MEDICAID PAYMENTS TO PSYCHIATRISTS FOR ATTENDING BASKETBALL GAMES, OR THE STUDY OF AGGRESSION IN DRUNKEN FISH. SENATOR PROXMIRE IS AILING NOW OR HE'D HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS. THE L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS LAUNCHING A MANDATORY PERSONNEL ENQUIRY ABOUT SHERIFF LEE BACA'S USING A CERTAIN WORD ON A RADIO SHOW. NOTHING OBSCENE. SOMETHING JUST CONSIDERED VULGAR FOR ITS FRANKNESS, THE BIOLOGICALLY ACCURATE WORD FOR THE TESTICLE.

TWO RADIO TALK SHOW HOSTS DARED BACA AND OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO STICK UP FOR RAISING THE STATE VEHICLE LICENSE FEE. THE RADIO DUO SAID NEITHER WOULD HAVE THE "GONADS" TO STAND BY IT IN PERSON. BACA CALLED AND CHALLENGED THEM RIGHT BACK. "INSTEAD OF BLAMING PEOPLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT", HE SAID, "IF YOU WONDER WHETHER OR NOT I'VE GOT GONADS, WHY DON'T YOU INVITE ME DOWN TO THE OFFICE THERE AND I'LL COME THERE AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I'VE GOT." BACA'S JUDGMENT IN LETTING HIMSELF GET SUCKED IN TO THIS MACHO BANTER IS PROBLEMATIC. WAS IT QUESTIONABLE IN TASTE? SURE, BUT I PRESUME THE WHOLE SHOW IS, AND BACA WAS ANSWERING IN THE LANGUAGE THE RADIO HOSTS SET.

IT'S LAUDABLE THAT NO ONE IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS BEYOND THE REACH OF RULES. JUST LAST YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SETTLED A FEDERAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT WITH A POLICY TO DISCIPLINE OFFENSIVE SPEECH EVEN "AN ISOLATED DEROGATORY COMMENT OR SEXUAL INNUENDO". THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT REPORTS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. REALLY? ARE REGULAR LISTENERS TO A SHOW WHOSE HOSTS TOSS AROUND WORDS LIKE CRAP AND GONADS LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENSE WHEN A GUEST CHOOSES TO DISH IT OUT AS WELL AS TAKE IT?

THAT BEING SAID, THE QUESTION IS ABOUT THE RULES. ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES SOUND TERRIFIC, ESPECIALLY AFTER DECADES WHEN ANY MISBEHAVIOR WAS WINKED AT. BUT ZERO TOLERANCE CAN SUBSTITUTE RULES FOR JUDGMENT. ZERO TOLERANCE MEANS SCHOOLS MUST EXPEL THE TEXAS GIRL WHO HAD AN ADVIL TABLET AND THE BOY WHO BROUGHT AN AFRICAN KNIFE SOUVENIR TO SHOW AND TELL. ZERO TOLERANCE MEANS A TEACHER CAN'T HUG A WEEPING FIVE-YEAR-OLD WHO SKINS HIS KNEE ON THE PLAYGROUND.

SO NOW WE HAVE THIS INVESTIGATION INTO THE OBVIOUS. HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST US? IN THE LONG, MAYBE MORE THAN WE KNOW.

VAL>> VALENTINE'S DAY CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THREE THINGS: HEARTS, FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATE. SO IN HONOR OF CHOCOLATE'S LONG-STANDING ROMANTIC STATUS, THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES IS TAKING A SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS SWEET CONFECTION.

JESS>> CHOCOLATE MAY SEEM LIKE A MODERN ADDICTION, BUT ITS HISTORY STRETCHES BACK CENTURIES TO THE DAYS WHEN THE SEEDS FROM THE CACAO TREE WERE ONCE AS PRECIOUS AS MONEY.

VAL>> AND JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ON THE STORY OF CHOCOLATE IS BILL WOOD, ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES.

BILL WOOD>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

JESS>> VERY TIMELY AT VALENTINE'S DAY TO BE TALKING CHOCOLATE.

BILL WOOD>> IT CERTAINLY IS.

VAL>> THAT'S THE IDEA. NOW DID YOU EVER THINK THAT A CHAPTER IN YOUR ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH WOULD INCLUDE CHOCOLATE?

BILL WOOD>> WELL, MY EXPERIENCE DOING RESEARCH IN SOUTHERN MEXICO INDICATED THAT IT JUST MIGHT BE. FOLKS THERE HAVE CHOCOLATE IN THE MORNING WITH SWEETBREAD DAILY, SO IT WAS A DAILY PART OF MY EXPERIENCE DOING RESEARCH.

VAL>> AND IT'S GOT QUITE A HISTORY. HOW FAR BACK DOES CHOCOLATE GO? HOW FAR BACK CAN WE TRACE IT?

BILL WOOD>> WELL OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS.

VAL>> TWO THOUSAND YEARS. WHERE DID IT FIRST EMERGE?

BILL WOOD>> WELL, SOUTH AMERICA. THE CACAO TREE COMES FROM SOUTH AMERICA. WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT TO SOUTHERN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA, THAT AREA, BUT SOMETIME JUST OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO, WE HAVE SOME ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE WERE DRINKING A CHOCOLATE BEVERAGE, THE MAYAN.

VAL>> NO KIDDING? WHAT KIND OF EVIDENCE WOULD INDICATE THAT?

BILL WOOD>> WELL, WE HAVE DRINKING VESSELS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAVE RESIDUE IN THEM. YOU CAN DO A CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS THAT WAS IN THE VESSEL.

JESS>> NO LACY, HEART-SHAPED BOXES? (LAUGHTER)

BILL WOOD>> NO, NO.

JESS>> IT IS THE SYMBOL OF LOVE, HOWEVER.

BILL WOOD>> FOR US, IT IS.

JESS>> IS THAT JUSTIFIED? JUST CHECKING ON YOUR RESEARCH (LAUGHTER).

BILL WOOD>> WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU TALK TO. I SUPPOSE MY WIFE MIGHT SAY IT IS.

JESS>> WHAT PROMPTED THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM TO FEATURE THIS EXHIBIT?

BILL WOOD>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE TIMING, AS YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, IS PERFECT. IT RUNS THROUGH THREE MAJOR HOLIDAYS THAT FEATURE CHOCOLATE.

JESS>> BUT YOU DO SERIOUS, HEAVY STUFF AND THIS --

BILL WOOD>> -- WE DO, AND WHAT MAKES THIS EXHIBIT AN ESPECIALLY GOOD FIT FOR THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IS THAT IT DOES A GREAT JOB OF COMBINING NATURE AND NATURAL HISTORY, FOCUSING BEGINNING IN THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST, ETC. AND THEN MOVING THROUGH CULTURE HISTORY, BOTH PRE-COLOMBIAN CULTURAL HISTORY AND SOUTHERN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA, EUROPEAN CULTURE HISTORY, ETC.

VAL>> NOW THESE ARE THE SEEDS HERE THAT WE'RE SEEING AS PART OF THE EXHIBIT. I UNDERSTAND THEY WERE SO PRECIOUS AT ONE TIME THAT THEY WERE ALMOST THE EQUIVALENT OF COINS?

BILL WOOD>> THAT'S RIGHT. DURING THE AZTEC EMPIRE, THEY WERE USED AS CURRENCY, A MEDIUM OF EXCHANGE, AND ACTUALLY THERE ARE SEGMENTS IN THE EXHIBIT ITSELF WHERE PEOPLE GET A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU'RE IN A MARKET AND YOU NEED TO BUY SOME TURKEY EGGS, AVOCADOS AND TOMATOES AND YOU'RE ASKED TO CALCULATE HOW YOU COULD DO THAT WITH SO MANY CACAO BEANS.

JESS>> NOW THEY'RE GROWN IN A VERY RESTRICTED REGION, BUT CHOCOLATE IS WORLDWIDE.

BILL WOOD>> IT IS NOW, IT IS NOW. OF COURSE, IT'S A NEW WORLD CROP, MEANING IT'S INDIGENOUS TO THE AMERICAS. THERE WASN'T ANY CHOCOLATE IN EUROPE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, EUROPEAN EXPLORERS CAME HERE AND THEN BROUGHT IT BACK.

VAL>> SO IT'S HARVESTED. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S IN TREES? YOU'VE BROUGHT SOME THINGS.

BILL WOOD>> I BROUGHT ALONG A CACAO POD. CACAO PODS LOOK LIKE THIS. THEY GROW ON TREES IN THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST AND PART --

VAL>> -- SO THE TREES ARE WILD? THEY'RE NOT LIKE IN AN ORCHARD?

BILL WOOD>> WELL, THEY CAN BE GROWN IN ORCHARDS, BUT IT'S NOT REAL EASY. THERE ARE SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT TROPICAL ECOLOGY. THEY DON'T DO WELL WHEN THEY'RE NOT SHADED, FOR EXAMPLE, SO THEY HAVE TO GROW UNDER THE CANOPY OF LARGER TREES.

JESS>> SOMEWHAT LIKE COFFEE.

BILL WOOD>> SOMEWHAT LIKE COFFEE. THEY'RE ALSO POLLINATED BY FLIES, OF ALL THINGS, SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TROPICAL FLOOR WITH LEAF DEBRIS, ETC. THAT MAKES A GOOD HOME TO FLIES TO HAVE FLOWERS GET POLLINATED AND SEEDS BE CREATED AND GET CHOCOLATE.

JESS>> THAT POD, EVEN IN ITS DRY STAGE, IS FAIRLY LARGE WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOW MUCH CHOCOLATE COULD BE PRODUCED BY THAT ONE POD.

BILL WOOD>> YEAH, CACAO PODS LIKE THIS HOLD ANYWHERE FROM A DOZEN TO TWENTY TO FIFTY CACAO SEEDS.

JESS>> THESE ARE THE SEEDS WE SEE HERE.

BILL WOOD>> THESE ARE THE SEEDS RIGHT HERE. WITH A POD LIKE THAT, YOU CAN MAKE A GOOD SEVEN MILK CHOCOLATE BARS.

VAL>> SO FROM THIS LITTLE BIT THAT YOU HAVE HERE? FROM ONE POD?

BILL WOOD>> THESE ARE FAIRLY SMALL PODS AND --

VAL>> -- SEVEN CHOCOLATE BARS?

BILL WOOD>> YEAH.

VAL>> WOW, THAT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.

JESS>> THE TOOLS YOU HAVE THERE ARE RATHER PRIMITIVE, BUT IS THAT STILL THE WAY THEY DO IT?

BILL WOOD>> WELL, IN SOME PLACES, IT IS. WHEN I WAS DOING MY RESEARCH IN OAXACA, MEXICO, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT GRIND CACAO SEEDS ON A TOOL LIKE THIS. WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A PERSON DEMONSTRATING THAT DURING THE EXHIBIT, ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNING.

VAL>> AND MORE FAMILIAR TO US ARE WHAT YOU BROUGHT THERE, THE IBARRA CHOCOLATE, WHICH IS USED IN MEXICAN CHOCOLATE.

BILL WOOD>> OF COURSE, YES. THIS IS USED TO MAKE THE MEXICAN DRINKING CHOCOLATE, WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA. OF COURSE, THE SPECIAL INSTRUMENT THAT'S USED TO CREATE THE FROTH THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO A NICE CHOCOLATE. SPIN IT BETWEEN YOUR HANDS AND YOU HAVE A NICE --

JESS>> -- THAT'S A TECHNIQUE THAT'S BEEN EMPLOYED FOR CENTURIES.

BILL WOOD>> THAT'S RIGHT. INVENTED BY THE SPANISH, SO A GOOD FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AT THIS POINT OR CLOSE TO IT.

JESS>> AND YOU BROUGHT US SOME SPECIAL CHOCOLATE TOO?

BILL WOOD>> I DID. THIS ACTUALLY IS HELEN GRACE CHOCOLATE, SO I'D LIKE TO CLAIM THAT WE AT THE MUSEUM -- WE'RE JUST THE BRINGERS OF THE CHOCOLATE.

VAL>> THAT'S WONDERFUL. THIS IS GOING TO LAST ALL OF FIVE MINUTES. AT 7:35, IT'S GOING TO BE GONE. I CAN GUARANTEE IT (LAUGHTER).

BILL WOOD>> (LAUGHTER) I'M SURPRISED IT'S STILL HERE AT THIS POINT.

JESS>> HOW SWEET IT IS.

VAL>> THAT'S WONDERFUL. WELL, BILL WOOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES. IT LOOKS DELICIOUS.

BILL WOOD>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

JESS>> "CHOCOLATE: THE EXHIBITION" IS AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELS IN EXPOSITION PARK STARTING FEBRUARY 16 AND RUNS THROUGH MAY 11.

VAL>> AND, YES, CHOCOLATE IS AN APHRODISIAC. EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW THAT. YOU CAN FIND TRANSCRIPTS AND HEAR AUDIO OF OUR RECENT PROGRAMS ON OUR WEBSITE AT KCET.ORG.

JESS>> AND THAT'S TONIGHT'S PROGRAM. THANKS FOR BEING PART OF OUR GROWING AUDIENCE. NOW FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES, GOOD NIGHT.

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