"My name is David, and I’ll be your host for this hour. Let me tell you about our specials…"

Are Meghna and I the only people who’ve never been waiters? It seems like everyone I talk to has been a waiter or still is. I can see some of the advantages: You don’t have to wait until you get your paycheck to put money in your pocket. You can wait tables just about anywhere. And it might be good for getting dates.

But I wonder if people over-value the advantages of working for tips. I’ve been hearing a lot about the disadvantages this week, like managers and owners skimming the tips, or companies banning tips outright as American Airlines did for its skycaps this month.

This week we met an unlikely and unassuming class action attorney who the restaurant industry views as more dangerous than food poisoning. She’s suing on behalf of workers whose tips have been pooled, cut, or taken away. Is this the new battle ground over workers’ rights?

Call us. Write to us. Comment here. I’d love to hear stories from the back of the house, behind the bar, and the waiters’ stations. Forget the food reviews, we want inside reviews of the restaurant industry, or any industry that’s having trouble with tips.

So far lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan has filed 40 cases on the issue of tips.  She won a major case recently involving American Airlines and Skycap employees and continues to battle the airline on this issue. 

Read on to find helpful links about restaurant labor practices and laws regarding tips.

House Speaker Sal DiMasi sent a letter to house members defending his record and urging lawmakers to focus on legislative matters. Dimasi says he’s outraged his reputation has been called into question in a recent string of ethics allegations.

Read the speaker’s full letter here:

Welcome to the Radio Boston live webchat. We’ll run a chatroom like this every week while the show is live and on the air, Fridays from 1-2pm Eastern Time. Log on and listen in to our live stream: www.wbur.org/listen.

Today, our chat is moderated by Richard Vedder, director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. Why does college cost so much, and how can families pay for it?

The log from another solid Radio Boston webchat. Read on to find out why there is one kind of audit you need not fear…

10:04 Radio Boston Frank Gorke, with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, thank you for moderating the Radio Boston webchat today.

10:04 Frank Gorke Glad to be here.

10:07 Radio Boston What is the state's major initiative to improve energy efficiency ?

Green is the new black, and wind is the new… wind.

David takes us to Salem for a lesson in how the Bernoulli equation works for old sailors and those who would save the planet.

Welcome to the Radio Boston live webchat. We’ll run a chatroom like this every week while the show is live and on the air, Fridays from 1-2pm Eastern Time. Log on and listen in to our live stream: www.wbur.org/listen.

Today, our chat is moderated by Frank Gorke, director of MassEfficiency. How effective are local efforts at reducing global warming gas emissions? Is your city or town going green?

Welcome to the Radio Boston live webchat. We’ll run a chatroom like this every week while the show is live and on the air, Fridays from 1-2pm Eastern Time. Log on and listen in to our live stream: www.wbur.org/listen.

Today, the Catholic church in the modern century. Are you Catholic? Does the church frustrate or illuminate your life? Where and how is Catholicism changing, or not? 

One body, many parts. And I’m one of them.

Enclosed is the evidence that I should be invited (as well as my sister Judy, who’s on the other side of Sister Anastasia) to any birthday parties for the Archdiocese of Boston on turning 200.

In my family we were born Catholics and we stayed Catholics…all except for one drop-out…

Sheila Grove has been a parishioner at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Sharon since the 1970s. She was drawn to the church by what she says was the sense of community and the wisdom and humanity of its pastor, the late Reverend Bob Bullock.

After an accomplished career in marketing, Sheila became an active member of the church reform group "Voice of The Faithful."

Listen as David Boeri talks with Sheila Grove about the role of laity and leadership in the Catholic church.