From: takin&kanoknuan@stuck-in-a-wheelchair.org   
      
   IMO this 'report' (authored by Brian Anasta) is a clever and brilliant,   
   laugh out loud piss-take on one of the most arrogant, conceited and pompous   
   windbags to have ever posted on Usenet. First posted about 2 years ago, it's   
   time I think for a repost especially as Kramer himself is back with us on   
   the group!   
      
   And remember Steve, we're not laughing with you, we're laughing AT you.   
   *grin*   
      
   Enjoy!   
      
      
   "A Life Lived Through Pictures"   
      
   Report by Ross Fairchilds   
      
   In the world of international photo-journalism, one could easily be   
   convinced that a life of danger and chaos, as well as constant travel to   
   global hotspots, could weary a man to such an extent that his passion for   
   his chosen profession would be difficult to maintain. From living out of 2   
   star hotel rooms, to being interrogated by various militia and rebel groups   
   on just "exactly what they are doing in this country", it is a lifestyle   
   many could not envisage themselves embracing, let alone actually enjoying.   
   One man, however, seems to break both the usual stereotype and mould of a   
   'regular' photojournalist, and in this interview at least, he is not afraid   
   to admit it. Dressed casually in a neat pair of flawlessly ironed cream   
   trousers and a smart black designer-label cashmere sweater, Stephen Kramer   
   cuts an imposing figure as he sips on an iced tea while re- telling a   
   swashbuckling tale to me of a recent encounter in a deep, remote region of   
   northern Thailand. Whilst the mere thought of being trampled by a herd of   
   marauding elephants is enough to send shivers down my spine for the next 2   
   lifetimes, Kramer speaks as if he were out for a casual walk in Central Park   
   on a bright, sunny New York afternoon. What is even more telling though is   
   the fact that for the best part of the past decade, Kramer has dedicated his   
   life to partaking in these sorts of experiences in regions throughout South-   
   east Asia. Whilst any normal being craves for the basics of life such as   
   food and shelter, Kramer seems to not so much as crave, but totally enjoy   
   the notion of living life on the edge and not knowing when one breath taken   
   may in fact turn out to be the last.   
      
   As he awaits the next stage of his career which will see him venture to the   
   small island-State of Singapore on a lucrative contract, Kramer sits in the   
   luxurious surrounds of the Kimasabi Hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo city,   
   reflecting on where life has taken him. As with any job or career, Kramer   
   declares, "there are the highs and lows which go with it, and my role as a   
   photojournalist is certainly no different". When I ventured to ask Kramer to   
   name some of the highs and lows he personally has encountered over the   
   years, he contemplates for a moment as in deep thought, and then quips,   
   "well you know, even though there have been times when I thought to myself   
   what the heck am I doing here, not knowing whether I would live to tell the   
   tale, I wouldn't change a single thing I have done or step I have taken".   
   From college Professor in an exclusive Japanese educational institution, to   
   successful entrepreneur and many things in between, Stephen Kramer embodies   
   the notion of the age-old saying, 'Life is there to be lived'. Combining an   
   extremely busy professional life with that of a loving husband, Kramer also   
   somehow finds time to dabble in various hobbies, many of which he has   
   mastered himself through self-teaching. A competent craftsman, scuba diver   
   and martial arts combatant, Kramer says having "outside interests" are vital   
   to keeping a well-balanced lifestyle as well as a healthy mind, body and   
   aura. As he elaborates, "I don't think I could be content to just rest on my   
   laurels in terms of my professional career, regardless of what I have   
   achieved. To me, the life-long process of learning new things is something   
   which excites me and also allows me to pass my knowledge and skills onto   
   other people, should they require it".   
      
   In my closing question to Kramer I ask him if he thinks he would like to   
   take a step back and maybe unwind somewhat after such a hectic lifestyle,   
   and God-forbid, maybe even consider retirement. It is then Kramer stares at   
   me deeply, my gaze flinching somewhat from the intensity of the eyes of a   
   man who has seen and experienced more than most. Yet he still retains   
   immense humility which one could be forgiven for expecting to be   
   non-existent in a soul who has experienced the extreme depths and intense   
   highs from all that life has to offer those who are willing to take the   
   risk. Kramer, who has taken more than his fair share of risks, then gently   
   rises from the hotel foyer sofa, and in his renowned articulate and humorous   
   way quips, "you know, sometimes people ask me if I have ever taken the   
   perfect photograph, and well my reply to them is simple, I say no, I have   
   not. You see, I believe perfection is the most difficult, possibly even   
   impossible, goal to achieve and I am striving in various aspects of my life   
   to attain that objective. In a professional sense, even though I have gained   
   respect from my peers in many parts of the world in terms of my work, I find   
   it difficult to comprehend that I have yet gained or experienced ultimate   
   perfection, despite perhaps many colleagues stating or thinking otherwise.   
   To me, the more hurdles and challenges I am faced with in both my personal   
   and professional life, the stronger, smarter and better I become".   
      
   As I leave the Kimasabi Hotel I cannot help but think that Kramer,   
   regrettably, maybe is one of the last of a dying breed of adventurers who   
   are not content to just play it safe and float along life's river. It is   
   with this thought, and the final sight of Kramer helping to guide an elderly   
   woman up the hotel's opulent winding staircase, that I come to the   
   unsettling conclusion that I am one of those very people who have been   
   content to just drift along here in the States, unwilling or unable to   
   relish each minute as if it were my last. The realization that there are   
   people like Stephen Kramer left in the world gives me some comfort at least   
   that for aspiring young artists and photographers there is still reason to   
   be inspired; and for the rest of us mere mortals, we should feel blessed to   
   be able to sample the work they have dedicated their life to bringing us,   
   regardless of the countless sacrifices they have made along the way.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)