The Left Lane
Put those veggie burgers on the grill

The American Institute for Cancer Research doesn't want to put a damper on picnics, now that Memorial Day has kicked off summer, but it nevertheless cautions about cancer risks associated with charred and grilled meats.

Under high-heat cooking methods such as grilling and broiling, "muscle meats" such as poultry, fish and red meat produce compounds called heterocyclic amines (or HCAs) that are known to cause cancer. Research has already associated backyard grilling of muscle meats with increasing the risk of stomach, breast and colorectal cancers.

Still compelled to grill? Marinate the meat first, which seems to reduce the HCAs. Trim off burned portions. Pre-cook and grill briefly. Or do vegetables instead, the institute suggests.

Solutions for those sticky situations

You would think common sense would serve well enough in most social situations, but there remains a wide range of sticky problems it does not address. Do you, for example, tip a hooker? If you see Robert Downey Jr. at the Betty Ford clinic, is it OK to ask for an autograph? And what, if anything, do you wear to a fetish ball?

For answers to these questions (plus hundreds more) check out "Etiquette for Outlaws" by Rob Cohen and David Wollock (HarperCollins, $14). The authors spent years "researching" — hanging out at strip clubs, casinos, S&M dungeons and miniature golf courses. They've become professionals of vice. And like Iggy Pop once said: "Nihilism is best done by professionals."

A model Web site for fashion conscious

Runway.Polo.com isn't a typical e-commerce Web site. The new site featuring the Ralph Lauren Collection aims to be a fashion destination for more than just browsing, but none of the styles featured can be purchased online. "It's about a lifestyle, not buying one product," says David Lauren, chief creative and marketing officer of Ralph Lauren Media and designer Ralph Lauren's son.

The emphasis is on customer service. "If a woman can spend $5,000 on crocodile boots, we better give her the service she expects," David Lauren says.

That service includes complete online access to the designer runway shows, video from behind the scenes and beauty tips from the models.

Take these numbers before saying 'I do'

The numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are based on a 1995 federal study of 10,847 women ages 15-44 and reflect probabilities of divorce for only that age group, which encompasses child-bearing years.

The older a woman is at first marriage, the longer that marriage is likely to last, says study co-author Matthew Bramlett. "Tell a girl who is a teenager planning to marry to wait until her 20s," he says. About 59 percent of marriages for women under 18 end in separation or divorce within 15 years, compared with 36 percent of those married at 20 or older.