This is a pretty good article / set of examples for using the PEAR Services_Twitter library to do a bunch of different twitter actions including direct messages and following.
The Twitter API supports cUrl, so you can use that library to send the necessary headers and retrieve the data you require. A good example here.
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.