Links We Love

Anderson Cooper thinks Tony Romo is a BBQ chain and more links we love right now

Editor's note: There's so much that's beautiful, funny, smart and informative on the Internet. Problem is, there's also a bunch of garbage. Here's the best of the web right now:

1. While chatting with David Letterman , Kathy Griffin claims that Anderson Cooper has no idea who Tony Romo is. Dammit, Silver Fox. Why do you have to go and make it so hard for us to love you?

2. It's about to get muy frio in Austin, so here are 11 obscure regional phrases to describe the cold. Somehow "it's colder than a witch's tit in a brass bra" didn't make the cut, which is a shame, because that's just a fun saying, even in July.

3. According to NPR, craft breweries are running out of names for their beers and into legal spats. This was bound to happen with all the IPAs out there. I mean, if an IPA doesn't have a hoppy pun for a name, is it really an IPA?

4. As The Simpsons turns 25, Observation Deck takes a look at the six totally different shows the series has been. We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere — like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

Now where were we? Oh, yeah. The important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones ...

5. Cracked sheds light on five BS health myths people still believe. I'm all for an article that says salt and saturated fats aren't so bad while denigrating yogurt. Seriously, people, enough with the yogurt. It's just ice cream for Mormons.

Mr. Cooper, this is Tony Romo. He is not a rib joint.

Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

Mr. Cooper, this is Tony Romo. He is not a rib joint.

Glowing Reviews

Artists bring 7,500 carved pumpkins to historic Austin trail

Pumpkin Nights Halloween immersive art

Pumpkin Nights/Facebook

Pumpkin Nights transforms these glowing gourds into an amazing art experience.

Although this walking tour through more than 7,500 jack-o'-lanterns was presented as a temporary delight in Austin, it's starting to look like a yearly feature. Pumpkin Nights is back at Pioneer Farms from September 19 to October 31, and it's announced some theme nights to up the semi-spooky ante.

The immersive art event sets up a series of scenes along a meandering path through Pioneer Farms, a living history museum in northwest Austin that replicates a town of early settlers. It's the perfect setting for a spooky jaunt through the historic buildings (built in the 1800s and moved from their original locations), trees that are hundreds of years old, and woodsy retreats.

In previous years, visitors have walked through a tunnel of jack-o'-lanterns with different facial expressions, met 40-foot dragons made of glowing pumpkins, peeked into a village of gnomes, and more. There will probably be some new additions to the already-impressive collection, but since it's made of a mix of real and styrofoam pumpkins, some works have lasted from previous years. Music, lights, and fog elevate it from an outdoor gallery to a more of a theme park.

Pumpkin Nights Halloween immersive art Fog really adds to the experience — and weirdly, it smells like pumpkin spice.Pumpkin Nights/Facebook

In addition to marveling at carved pumpkins, there are plenty of other activities. Guests can check the calendar to be sure what they'll see on any given date, but some things to look forward to are face painting, live fire dancing, and live pumpkin carving by world class artists. Food trucks and lawn games have also been a standard feature.

Anyone who wants a full preview can find several walkthroughs on YouTube, but to avoid too many spoilers, here's an official teaser:

Theme nights are scheduled for September 30, and October 9, 19, and 26. The exhibition will stay the same, but guests are invited to wear costumes according to each theme, and may even win prizes for the best looks. First up is superheroes, followed by zombies, then anything that glows in the dark, and finally witches. In the email announcing the theme nights, Pumpkin Nights says masks are okay, but props and weapons should stay home.

Pumpkin Nights costume theme nights Some more information from the email from Pumpkin Nights.Graphic from Pumpkin Nights

Understandably, not every "all ages" event really lives up to the title, often leaving teenagers and adults a bit bored. Pumpkin Nights really is great for all ages; kids will be plenty entertained, and any adult who can appreciate some good artistry will likely enjoy the sensory spectacle. (The adult writing this did, anyway.) There are also endless opportunities to take fun selfies and family or friend photos.

Early bird tickets are on sale now at pumpkinnights.com. Guests will be asked to choose a date and time of entry when purchasing tickets, but they can stay as long as they'd like until the event closes at 11 pm on weekdays and 11:30 pm on weekends. A similar experience will be held in the Dallas-Fort Worth area at Arlington's Howell Farms. An event guide helps answer FAQs about parking, the venue, and more.

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