Government 4: Comparative Politics. This course will introduce students to the field of comparative government and politics through an examination of selected political systems. Special attention will be given to analytic techniques involved in the study of the field and to certain basic concepts, such as power and political culture, decision-making, and communications. Dist: SOC or INT. Carey.

Economics 38: Urban and Land Use Economics. This course is about the location of economic activities. The central focus is on urban areas and attendant problems in public economics, but some attention is given to agricul­tural, natural resource, and environmental issues. Topics include housing markets, trans­portation, local government structure, property taxes, resource depletion, and zoning and land use controls. Dist: SOC. Fischel.

Public Policy 45: Introduction to Public Policy Research. This course focuses on strategies for, and actual practice of, conducting research relevant to public policy discussions. Students will learn: about policy issues, their drivers, and finding solutions; about the Legislative Process; and how to work collaboratively. Though open to all students satisfying the prerequisite, this course is designed to be a core element of the Public Policy Minor and will also serve as a training ground for prospective applicants wishing to serve in the Rockefeller Public Policy Research Shop during the winter and spring terms. Dist: SOC. Shaiko.

Real update to follow shortly?

Perfect for a lazy summer morning — or, as it more often turns out, for an even lazier summer afternoon. This is my Sunday brunch, as decadent as it gets here in the land of lentil soups, whole-wheat pasta, and salads with balsamic vinaigrette.

I started with the plain pancake recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s Vegan with a Vengeance, but I’ve modified it slightly: I substituted orange juice for water to add flavor, split the 1 and 1/4 cups of flour between whole-wheat pastry and all-purpose, added some spices, and because I’m an unpaid intern and don’t care to pay $8 for the smallest available bottle of pure Vermont maple syrup, I used sugar as a sweetener.

I never measure spices when I cook, so the estimates here are suggestions only; please adjust to taste.

Dry ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• generous dash of cinnamon
• generous dash of cardamom
• pinch of allspice
• pinch of ginger

Wet ingredients:

• 1 cup soymilk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix, but not too much, as it will make the pancakes rubbery. For ideal results, let the batter sit for a while — fifteen minutes, overnight, or the time it takes to wash your hair and get dressed because it’s past noon and you still haven’t.

Coat a nonstick skillet with a thin layer of oil. Cook each pancake until bubbles form on the surface before turning over; if it isn’t solid enough, wait a minute or two and try again.

To keep the pancakes warm while you finish the batter, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (about 100 degrees C) and leave them there until you are ready to serve them.

I like to serve these with frozen raspberries heated for a minute in the microwave and topped with a sprinkle of sugar.