K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune Ethan Heldman (left) and twin brother Lucas, 2½, live in "Ft. Knox," says their mom, Jessica.

As soon as Ruby Jean Reilly started crawling, she headed straight for the electrical outlets. And the dog bowl. That was enough for her grandmother to realize things would only get worse. “I Googled 'childproofing' on the Internet,” Nancy Reilly recalls. As she talks, Ruby Jean scoots through family room and down a short hallway, where she pulls herself up to stand at a gate Brian Mott has just finished installing.

• Childproofing advice

It's a time of uncertainty. You can feel it in the streets, in everyday life. It's a topic for conversation and worry. Questions hang in the air, with no answers. The future, your plans, your family's financial safety – the comfort in our lives slowly disappears, replaced by uncertainty.

As Disney movies grow older, they improve with age, as the latest restoration of “Sleeping Beauty” makes clear. In its 50th anniversary platinum edition, it's as if one of the three fairy godmothers waved her magic wand and – poof! – what we see looks and sounds better than ever before, and there's more on screen than even at the debut in January 1959.

Last week we asked who won the vice presidential debate between Democratic Sen. Joe Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin on Thursday night in St. Louis. We got a big response, and you were decisive.

Westfield retail centers across the county are teaming up again this year with the San Diego Food Bank on Halloween night to “Scare Away Hunger.” Children who bring at least one nonperishable food item will be eligible for treats provided at the concierge center and by participating retailers.