When you're wading through the job market, asking a friend or colleague to make a personal referral on your behalf requires delicate handling if you want to make a good impression and increase your chances of landing an interview. Likewise, if you're on the receiving end of such a request, you will want to consider a number of things before agreeing to pass along that résumé. Before you click the Forward button, follow these six tips to gracefully navigate a job referral.

Remember that an endorsement also reflects upon you.
Even if your company's referral bonus would really help with this month's rent, don't provide a referral for anyone who asks for it. If you enthusiastically endorse a vague acquaintance, and the hiring manager is less than impressed, your own judgement of character may be called into question. Of course, this works both ways: if you genuinely provide a stamp of approval and your applicant gets hired, you'll receive kudos for bringing her in.

Take time to consider the request before you act.
Sometimes the decision is a no-brainer: you've worked personally with the applicant, know that the position in question is the perfect fit, and can provide a glowing endorsement. Other times, you don't feel so confident. Hopefully the applicant will contact you via email so you can respond when you're ready, but if you're cornered on a surprise phone call, don't be afraid to ask for some time. Tell the caller that you would like to read the job listing and think about how comfortable you are making a referral for that position.

Collect all pertinent information.
If you agree to provide a referral, make sure you understand your colleague's aims before passing along her résumé. Ask her to tell you about her relevant experience and skills, why she thinks she's an ideal candidate, and why she wants to work in this position and for this company. It helps to share this information at the time you make the referral so the hiring manager understands it's a genuine endorsement.

Read on for more.

While dining out at your local seafood joint or your neighborhood bistro, you've undoubtedly encountered them by the dozen (or half). Oysters on the half shell are ubiquitous these days, but they're not just a restaurant treat. Many seafood markets sell them for home consumption, and the right tools and plenty of ice will see you shucking and slurping in no time.

A quick squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of hot sauce is perhaps the simplest accompaniment, but a classic mignonette — a vinegar and shallot-based condiment — nicely balances that from-the-sea brininess and can be thrown together in no time. Just place all ingredients in a jar, shake, shake, shake, and your elegant oyster appetizer is ready!

Read on for the recipe.

We all know the effect that a baby white-handed gibbon can have on the ol' heartstrings (tug, tug . . . YANK, YANK, YANK!), but there are some moments when even such an icon of awww-someness just takes it too far. This is one of those moments for Chuck, the resident rescue cat at the Monkey Island Rescue and Sanctuary. Her quiet pose may imply zen-like tolerance, but that facial expression and swish-swish-swish of her tail just say it all.

It was a tense moment at the petting zoo last week: while crossing a pond, a baby goat's foot became stuck underwater, and the poor horned one could only flail his legs and bleat for help. Fortunately, he need not fear for long because a good samaritan swooped in for the save, dislodging the goat's foot and guiding him to shore. Who was this lifeguarding hero? Check out this video for the answer!

Forbes released its list of the 400 richest people in America last week, and with the financial successes of Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman bubbling up as hot-button topics during this election season, we were curious as to which politicians — current, former, or aspiring — made the cut this year. So just who are the nine richest politicians? Hint: the aforementioned campaigners didn't even come close!

9. Meg Whitman. Worth a reported $1.7 billion, the former CEO of eBay spent $144 million of her own money on her bid for the California gubernatorial seat in 2010. Though she lost the election to Jerry Brown, she won the top spot at Hewlett-Packard just a year later.
8. Glen Taylor. After a nine-year stint as a Minnesota state senator in the '80s, Republican Glen Taylor plunked down a chunk of his fortune made from his days in the printing industry to buy the majority ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves professional basketball team. He is reportedly worth $1.7 billion today.
7. Jeff Greene. Real estate helped this mogul earn his billionaire status, and in 2010 he put his money where his mouth is by running as a Democrat for US Senate. Ultimately, he lost the primary election to Kendrick Meek, but his present-day $2.2 billion valuation isn't too shabby.

For the six richest politicians, just keep reading.

We've all been there: a co-worker announces her pregnancy at work, and suddenly there are so many questions we want to ask. How far along is she? How is she feeling? Was is hard keeping it a secret until now? Isn't she just thrilled? Many expecting women are happy to talk to friends and colleagues about the excitement of this time in her life. But some women are more guarded about the topics of pregnancy and childbirth and may be uncomfortable discussing them at the office. Here are 10 questions you should think twice about asking your pregnant co-worker.

How Long Were You Trying?
While this question is usually innocent enough in its intention, it potentially forces the expectant mother to tackle two uncomfortable topics: sex and fertility. Do you really want to broach the subject of how often your colleague does it? Or maybe it's not as simple as a bedroom encounter, and she required insemination or fertility treatments to arrive where she is now. Either way, it's not appropriate office chitchat.

How Much Weight Have You Gained?
Sure, weight gain is an inevitability during pregnancy. But it doesn't mean your colleague isn't self-conscious about it! Regardless of whether she appears to have put on a few or barely gained an ounce, it's probably best to steer clear of this topic.

Are You Coming Back to Work?
The decision between staying at home and working after the child's birth can be a rocky one for any mom-to-be, and there are often some complicated financial decisions underlying her ambivalence. Don't add to the pressure by bringing up such a sensitive topic. It's also possible that she simply hasn't yet made up her mind and is therefore uncomfortable discussing it at work where her manager or others might overhear.

How Will You Be Delivering?
A woman's choice of delivery practices is quite a hot button topic these days, and everyone seems to have an opinion. But whether she opts for a home birth, a scheduled C-section, a hospital birth with interventions, or any multitude of other birthing options, it's not our place as her co-workers to make her talk about it or defend it.

How Old Are You?
Mom may be 40, fabulous, and proud to shout it from the rooftops, but if she hasn't volunteered that information to you before, don't wait until she's pregnant to inquire. She may be generally sensitive about her age or afraid that people will jump to conclusions about the health of her baby.

For five more sensitive questions, just keep reading.

While any politician, political party, or PAC worth its salt would be more than happy to receive your support in the form of cash or check, monetary gifts aren't the only donation recognized by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Fundraiser tickets, loans, office supplies, and even t-shirts can be considered campaign contributions. Any goods or services provided to a candidate or political committee goes against your $117,000 biennial contribution cap and is subject to the individual committee limits. If you're hanging onto your hard-earned cash but still want to find ways to help out your candidate, here are some things to know about other kinds of campaign contributions that will help you keep your support on the straight-and-narrow.

Donated Items and Services
Donations of supplies, furniture, business services, or anything else of value is considered an in-kind contribution, and the value of these items counts against the FEC's contribution limits. If, as a business owner, you offer a discount to a candidate or committee, then the amount of that discount will be considered a contribution.

Fundraising
Hosting a fundraiser in itself is not considered a campaign contribution, but expenses associated with those events are — if they exceed $1,000 for events that benefit a candidate or $2,000 for fundraisers benefiting a committee. If you purchase a ticket to a fundraiser, the cost of that ticket is deemed a contribution, even if the cost of the food and beverages you consume there is less than the ticket price. And the FEC even counts the purchase of a t-shirt as a campaign donation if the proceeds of that transaction benefit a campaign.

Loans
If you loan money to a campaign — even if you charge interest on that loan — then the amount that you lend is considered a contribution. As the candidate or committee pays you back, the contribution amount also decreases. But keep in mind that the amount you loan cannot exceed the contribution limits designated by the FEC.

For a few more campaign contribution rules, keep reading.