If you could travel back in time and intervene at one moment in history what would you do? That was the question columnist Michael Gove asked ina recent Times of London piece (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/

michael_gove/article6549539.ece)

He tries to answer this question:
”Assassinate Hitler? Stop Lenin getting on that train to the Finland Station? Slip something in Mao’s rice wine before he got the idea of the Cultural Revolution?

”My own hunch is you could avert the need for all of the above if you got between Gavrilo Princip’s bullet and Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Almost all the miseries of the last century can be traced to the greatest civilisational catastrophe of all time – the First World War…There was a madness abroad in Europe in 1914… Prewar Europe was a uniquely liberal and civilised place. And it was all swept away, in a ceremony of blood that ushered in eight decades of oppression.

“So I’d wrench the gun out of Princip’s … hand. And this is where the argument begins. I defy readers to think of a better use of a rent in history’s tapestry.”

So now, dear reader, the question is in your corner? If you had the power, what would you do to change history?
Please write us.

June 20 is World Refugee Day. A refugee is a person seeking asylum in a foreign country in order to escape persecution, war, terrorism, extreme poverty, famines, or natural disaster. If you or a member of your family or a friend is a refugee and has come to this country for a new beginning in a democratic society, please consider sharing your story with us. We want to know more about what made you come to the United States, what was it like in your home country, and how has your life changed since you arrived in America? It is important we hear your voice.
Please share with us.

What do you think about what’s going on in Iran as people protest the results of the elections there?
Write us.

Reuters news service has reported that a group monitoring the English language has said that the phrase ”Web 2.0” is the one millionth word or phrase in the English language. Web 2.0 is a technical term meaning the next generation of World Wide Web (www) products and services.
Reiter says that the group, called Global Language Monitor, calculates that about 14.7 new English words or phrases are generated daily.
The group’s president cited other words leading up to the millionth: these were ”Jai Ho!”, an Indian exclamation signifying victory or accomplishment, and ”slumdog,” a negative term for children living in the slums of India that became popular with the Oscar-winning movie ”Slumbdog Millionaire.” The list also included ”cloud computing,” meaning services delivered via the cloud or Internet, ”carbon neutral,” a term used in the climate change debate, and ”NOOb,” a derogatory term from the gaming community for a newcomer.
So, it’s your turn now. What do you suggest for the one millionth and one word? Is there a phrase or word you heard on the subway or in conversation that is new and should be added to the list? Or, better yet, is there a new word that you have made up with your imagination that you’d like to share with us, and which sounds interesting? If so, what is the word and what does it mean?
Please let us know.

Make believe that you could run a lamp and a giant geni would emerge who would grant your deepest wish. What would it be?

The Washington Post (at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061203180.html) has a wonderful feature today (June 14, 2009) which asked novelists which fictional character they would like to accompany them for a day at the beach.
So, that’s the question today, too — what character would you want to be with, whether at the beach, in the park, at home, or breaking bread together?
Please share your thoughts with us.

Everyone has a story tell, if only someone would listen, if only someone would ask.

So I am asking you. Writing the opening lines of your autobiography.
Share them with us.

Tell me about an interesting place you have seen or about something special you have done in your life. (It also could be something from your imagination, something that you have made up but would like to see come true.)

What was it like? Describe the place or action. Just keep your pencil on the page and keep writing. Don’t worry about making spelling errors or finding the correct word. The main point is to keep writing and not to worry. In writing, there are no bad thoughts.