New Website

From its very beginnings, the Smithsonian Institution has taken and collected photographs. Masses of them. John Brown's steely eyes were captured in a daguerreotype by August Washington in 1846. A now-extinct Tasmanian hyena, sleek and striped, attracted photographer Thomas Smillie in 1891. Harry Bowden went to Jackson Pollock's chaotic studio in 1949 and found an unintentional abstract of cans and brushes.

The presidential campaign has placed a spotlight on the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “The Book of Mormon” musical is pushing the religion to the forefront of pop culture. And with Ann Romney's recent appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” semi-secret Mormon undergarments are no longer so secret. Not that Mrs. Romney's underwear was showing. But the fact that it didn't show under her sleek, knee-grazing skirt stirred up debate among some members of the faithful about whether she was or wasn't wearing the “temple garments” required for most adult Mormons.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that it has created a website to help veterans who face difficulty returning to jobs or finding new ones after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Michael Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of Defense, said the program, dubbed TurboTAP, seeks to improve on the Transition Assistance Program by letting National Guard and Reserve members get job data, build a resume online and do a job search, all in one place.

For the sake of charity, Alex Salnik of San Jose has agreed to share his secrets, little mysteries about women that he believes could change your life. Marlaina Ward of Santa Cruz will come to your home and bless your baby. And James Grant of Saratoga will teach you, in 15 minutes, how to pick a combination lock. They are a new breed of philanthropists coming together on an online site launched this month, an EBay-like portal that auctions people's skills — juggling, hula-hooping, pie-baking — and connections to raise money for their favorite charities.

As a young teacher, Kristen Bowers toiled night after night, struggling to grade tests and come up with innovative teaching materials for her English courses at South Hills High School in West Covina. "I remember thinking, 'Can somebody just invent something so I can have a life?' " said the 32-year old San Dimas resident. Unsatisfied with the little she found in the way of help, Bowers spent two years creating literature and writing guides she could share with other teachers online.

Blame Angelina and Brad and their do-gooding, orphanage-visiting ways. Or maybe it's all the hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes. Whatever the reason, more tourists -- such as college students on spring break, jet-setting luxury travelers and retiring baby boomers -- are using their vacations to volunteer. In the latest example of the growth of "voluntourism," United Way, one of the nation's oldest and largest community service organizations, and CheapTickets.

The lineup of guest judges on the new season of "America's Next Top Model" may not mean much to the average viewer. But in the fashion world, Patrick Demarchelier and Matthew Rolston need no introduction. And fashionistas know why the sought-after photographers decided to climb aboard the reality modeling competition in its 15th cycle, which premieres Sept. 8. Two words: Italian Vogue. The magazine, considered the most prestigious fashion publication in the world, has partnered with the CW show for the first time.

There was a time when you had to attend a church to listen to the weekly sermon or become a regular member to hear a choir whose music you really love. These days, thanks to iPod, you don't have to actually be there. A website called GodCast 1000 (godcast1000.com) has been launched to help users "put God on your iPod." It bills itself as the largest free directory of Christian music, sermons, video and Bible study on the Internet.

Depending on whom you ask, Lala.com -- a new website that helps song lovers trade entire compact discs for less than the cost of a single iTunes video download -- is either the music industry's salvation or yet another nail in its coffin. Those in the pro-Lala camp like to tell the story of its founder, Bill Nguyen, a Silicon Valley wunderkind who sold a previous start-up for $850 million and set out to use some of the proceeds to help music aficionados like himself discover new tunes.