What you're describing sounds a lot like Perf4J.
Jon Skeet has this, but it is very simple indeed.
Springsource TC Server (which is a Tomcat++) with Insight enabled has been helpful to me It will time your entire call-stack and give you nice reports. Here's a screencast youtube.com/watch?v=nBqSh7nVNzc.
Since you are already showing an example where code changes are involved, you could simply roll your own using your probably existing logging facility. Another option would be JMX beans for live statistics - this option is often used together with a 'professional' monitoring facility which aggregates these statistics.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.