The Musicheads are wondering if an ex ruined music or a specific song for you. Some of the answers are sad, some are sweet, and some are measured. Some are just plain quotable:

"A boy from Kentucky ripped all theTom Waits out of my heartstrings. For I while I couldn't listen to Rickie Lee Jones, either, or a fabulous Waits tribute album "Temptation" by Holly Cole. Sometimes I really miss Tom, but I'm afraid he'd inspire me to behave foolishly again." - MizSheri C.

Join the online discussion to share your own tale of ruined love, ruined songs, and if you found redemption for both.

If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift or gesture, why not turn to the Internet for suggestions?

Lucie Amundsen of St. Anthony Village, Minn. shares a little Mother's Day advice in her commentary:

"So while it may not overly help the economy or charity fund raising goals, consider giving the mother in your life a note of thanks, a little pocket money and the afternoon off. Then she can go off to reconnect with the woman she used to be before her name was mom."

Good advice, it just might take some effort. Amundsen is not alone in considering this topic. Gather.com regular Chris Chris Carlisle wrote The Guys' Guide to Mother's Day Gift Do's and Don'ts from a slightly different perspective and published it on our Public Radio Forum. He outlines some specific suggestions to "keep you out of hot water and in your mother's good graces." One example:

"Don't: Buy a humorous card.

The Mother's Day card should be void of monkeys, cartoons, and humorous puns or quips. The Mother's Day card should have a floral design on the front and a sappy poem on the inside (just skim it, you don't have to read the whole thing), and it should all be written in a huge looping script font. Oh, and don't forget to sign it."

Forget the canary in the coal mine, it turns out birds are a good gauge for other environmental factors. From the latest Minnesota Public Radio video description,

"Although some birds are dying because of the late spring, these swallows at the Carlos Avery Wildlife Refuge north of the Twin Cities area are thriving."

All those interested in birdwatching from their desk are invited to watch and comment on this video:

Join the live chat tonight at 8 p.m. CT with author Carol White. She and her husband Phil wrote "Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a year for the cost of staying home" based on own their travels. In the book they cover trip planning, those perplexing details like bills, and document their perspectives in a section filled with travel details.

Carol joined Gather to share her experience in writing and publishing a travel book with readers and budding writers.

* Join MPR's Minnesota Readers discussion group
* Check out Gather.com's virtual writing workshop group, Gather Essentials: Writing

Is a property tax cap the key to passing the budget? Gov. Pawlenty wants it front and center of the budget talks. Hear what both the DFL chair and the lead GOP member of the House Taxes committee think on Midmorning today at 9:00 a.m. CT:

Governor, legislators eye a cap on property taxes
Gov. Pawlenty would like to cap property tax increases as part of a deal on the Minnesota state budget. His interest in doing something about property taxes is reflected in the DFL-led Legislature, where two competing bills calling for property tax changes wait to be resolved.

Read and comment on Polinaut: Pawlenty: The cap is the key

The Current is celebrating Minnesota's 150th birthday all week long. (Actual date? Sunday, May 11.) The highlights from their MN150 collection page:

* Our "Song of the Day" podcast will feature a track from a local artist.
* My Three Songs at noon will be chosen by Minnesota musical luminaries.
* Mary Lucia and Nikki Tundel will have stories about the state's history.
* We'll spotlight local music all Saturday night on Radio Free Current.
* We'll wrap up our celebration Sunday at 5 p.m. with a special edition of The Local Show.

There's also a list Minnesota artists and groups that have landed in The Current's studios! Beyond lending your ear, you can tell your own Minnesota Arrival story.

MPR News shares this video of Faith Burns, a Minneapolis resident who is about to lose her home to foreclosure.

She describes her home as a blessing. How do you react to that? Comment on the video.

* View and comment on more videos from Minnesota Public Radio.

Gather.com regular Greg Schiller published an article about our whims and mistakes in naming children, titling the discussion, "A Roze By Any Other Name." He focuses on the somewhat unconventional - you might say humorous, or even unfortunate - names people give their children. He explains:

One impulse is to lean toward safety and protect the child by hiding them deep in a herd of names. The other view is more optimistic, a child with a unique name draws attention and attention is good. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

But some parents appear more enamored with their own self-expression than with their children's future.

You'll have to read the entire article to see the examples, and join in the discussion with your own favorites.

Midmorning brings Tom Sorel to the air, and I'm sure you have some questions for him. From the program description:

New MnDOT commissioner looks ahead The Minnesota Department of Transportation's new commissioner, Tom Sorel, talks about where he thinks the new gas tax revenue should be spent, and about the progress of replacing some critical bridges in Minneapolis and around the state.

Visit the Midmorning page (starting at 9:00 a.m. CT) to send your question to the studio.

If you're a resident of the Twin Cities and if you missed the May Day celebration earlier today in Powderhorn Park, you can still get a glimpse thanks to a Weekend America feature: The Magic of May Day.

MPR's own IT Manager Maria Montello produced this piece and the slideshow in advance of the event, but the background on May Day and the community celebration is worth checking out.