When it comes to gauging the direction of the economy, most of us think “inside the box,” expecting things to continue the way they have been going. But signs have begun to indicate that our economic condition may be on the mend, with the possibility of better times ahead.

The Washington Post has provided some great resources for tracking the 2012 Presidential Election. Here are a few of our favorite at IVN.us:

Tracking TV ads in the Presidential Campaign! 

Great site to watch recent campaign ads, see how much each candidate is spending on ads, and the top messages in the 2012 presidential election ads. 

It is a virtual axiom of contemporary political strategy, that Independent voters cast the decisive ballots in closely contested elections. Unlike their Democratic and Republican counterparts, Independent voters can be fairly unpredictable and may remain undecided as to how they will cast their ballots up to election day itself. It is therefore all the more remarkable that there are so few polls and surveys which focus solely on Independent voters, especially given the fact that Independents outnumber Democrats and Republicans alike nationwide.

Several proposed big solar projects, including one in California, have switched from concentrated solar power (CSP) to the more familiar photovoltaic (PV). The trend now seems irreversible. Photovoltaic will now be the dominant technology used for big solar plants. CSP, with one notable exception, is losing out everywhere.

With the Iowa caucuses now behind the Republican presidential field of candidates, most of them have now moved on to brave the political wilderness known as New Hampshire- a small, but significant state where unaffiliated voters can show up in droves to make their voices heard in the nation’s first official primary of election season.   It’s distinct from the recently held Iowa caucuses, which follows a complex voting and delegate selection process.

With the Sierra snow pack at “the smallest amount at this time of year since measurements began in 1964,” as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, there’s plenty of concern about precious water resources to serve California. But there’s a deep reservoir of political discord in any debate over water allocation.

Texas is currently suffering its worst drought in recorded history with much of it in what the U.S. Drought Monitor classifies as D3, Extreme Drought, or D4, Exceptional Drought. Several municipalities are in danger of completely running out of water in less than six months. Some may have no water in fewer than 50 days.