Nuevo Vallarta received its first impulse to become the first “Clean Tourist Destination” in Mexico; federal and state level environmental certificates were given to businesses in Nayarit; the Islas Marietas will have a new, modern vessel dedicated to their care.

During a ceremony held on October 31st at the Paradise Village Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, the federal and state authorities related with the environment announced several activities to help increase the environmental efforts within the Riviera Nayarit and the state at large.

The head of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa, by its acronym in Spanish), Guillermo Haro Bélchez was in charge of announcing the Boost for Recognition of Nuevo Vallarta as a “Clean Tourist Destination.”

Besides signing the agreement, the encounter also provided a forum for the award of the Tourism Environmental Quality Certificates to businesses on a federal and state level on behalf of Profepa by the state Secretariat of Environment. Vallarta Adventures was one of the tourism-focused businesses that received a certificate.

“No one has any doubt that Nayarit is a great state with incredible natural resources and a calling for tourism,” declared Haro Bélchez. “That’s why today we want to establish a new momentum for us to attain recognition for Nuevo Vallarta as the first Clean Tourist Destination, something we’re close to achieving by the beginning of 2015.”

“We want Nayarit to become the banner state, the flagship for other clean tourism destinations,” added Guillermo Haro, as he pointed out the processes for consolidating the naming are quite advanced, which is why they are seeking for the area hotels to align themselves with the Profepa guidelines.

The Islas Marietas will have more protection

“One of the fundamental aspects is that we want to double down on our commitment to the surveillance and care of the Islas Marietas National Park,” commented Haro as he announced that at least one of the new vessels that were purchased together with the Department of the Navy will be dedicated exclusively to the care of the Islas Marietas along with the armada.

The vessel will be delivered before the end of the year in order to be able to better care for visitors, tourists and, above all, this natural heritage site.

Another topic mentioned was the Playa en Regla program, which seeks to regulate beach venders via more security in the federal zone. This initiative takes place all year long but will be reinforced in the Guayabitos area, where there are only 200 permits for vendors but at times there are around 1,000 at a time.

In recent months, American and Mexican media outlets offered sharply different views on the detention of U.S. Marine Andrew Tahmooressi.

[readon1 url="http://pvangels.com/news-mexico/13631/mexico-offers-different-take-on-jailed-us-marine"]Source:pvangels.com[/readon1]

Goldcorp Inc. reported a surprise third-quarter loss due to lower precious metal grades at its Penasquito mine in Mexico.

Goldcorp, one of the best performing gold companies, took a $36-million (U.S.)  writedown on the value of the Mexican mine’s stockpiles.

Vancouver-based Goldcorp will now process the low-grade ore when Penasquito nears the end of its life and said the writedown also “recognizes lower anticipated recoveries” from the stockpiles.

That decision drove up costs to produce an ounce of gold to $1,066 compared with $995 last year.

For the three months ended in September, Goldcorp lost $44-million, or 5 cents per share, compared with a profit of $5-million, or 1 cent a share last year.

Excluding the writedown, the company  said it earned  9 cents per share,  which missed analyst expectations of 18 cents.

[readon1 url="http://world.einnews.com/article/232433424/f61kWEXtgMvsCUek?n=2&code=HYknyZ8Nml9lRxW7"]Source:world.einnews.com[/readon1]

The next time you sit down for some shrimp scampi, beware of a bait-and-switch.

Much of the shrimp sold in grocery stores and restaurants across the U.S. isn't exactly what it says on the package or the menu, a new survey claims. Using DNA testing, the marine conservation group Oceana sampled 143 shrimp products from U.S. stores and restaurants and found that as many as 30 percent misrepresented the crustaceans they contained.

For example, the researchers found that some shrimp labeled as being caught from the Gulf of Mexico were actually whiteleg shrimp raised in farms.

In other cases, one species was substituted for another. Samples sold as royal red shrimp or rock shrimp, two delicacies known for their lobster-like flavor, frequently turned out to be more common species. The researchers found three store-bought bags of alleged shrimp that in fact contained crustaceans that couldn't be genetically identified. One of those bags also contained a banded coral shrimp -- a critter normally sold as an aquarium pet, not as food.

While the researchers' sample was limited to a cross-section of just 111 vendors on the Eastern Seaboard, the Gulf Coast and the Oregon shore, the findings illustrate how difficult it is for seafood lovers to know which creatures they're actually eating. Last year, another Oceana study found that one in three fish sold in markets is mislabeled.

In some cases, shrimp may be misidentified by fishers or factories because different shrimp species are difficult to tell apart by sight, especially once processors have peeled them. In other cases, though, unscrupulous sellers may be slapping marketable labels like "wild" or "Gulf" on cheaper, farmed seafood.

"This is a big issue, which has economic, sanitary and environmental consequences," said Jorge Barros Velazquez, a food science professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, who was not involved in the Oceana study. In 2007, Velazquez and his colleagues conducted a similar shrimp survey in Spain, and found the same problem: Of the shrimp samples they tested, 25 percent were mislabeled.

Widespread mislabeling presents a problem for seafood lovers who want to buy wild shrimp instead of farmed because it's more environmentally friendly or because they believe it may be healthier. Mislabeling also undermines people who want to support the hard-hit domestic fishing industry of the Gulf Coast region, which is trying to move past the images of oil-soaked shrimp after the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010.

"When somebody else slips something in and calls it a Gulf-branded seafood item, that really hurts the people down there that are trying to make a living and do it honestly," said Kimberly Warner, lead scientist on the Oceana study.

Warner and other advocates want the U.S. government to create programs that would track seafood from catch to sale. A bill called the Safety and Fraud Enforcement for Seafood Act, which would require records to be kept showing where and when seafood was caught, has been introduced in both chambers of Congress, but has not yet passed.

Generally, the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to crack down on fraudulent food sellers. "In the interest of public health, it is vital that both domestically processed and imported seafood are safe, wholesome and properly labeled," FDA spokeswoman Lauren Sucher told The Huffington Post.

However, the agency said it "does not provide speculative or advance information on enforcement actions" with regard to seafood sales.

Foreign shrimp farms, which are often not held to rigorous food standards, have their own problems that shrimp lovers may want to avoid. One grower in Vietnam was found to be using bacteria-laden ice to chill their shrimp, while some farms in Thailand have been linked to slave labor.

Seafood With The Lowest Mercury Levels

[readon1 url="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/mislabeled-shrimp-fraud_n_6065824.html"]Source:www.huffingtonpost.com[/readon1]

What can be greener than not using your car, healthier than moving around town on top of your bike, and cooler than making of the city your own playground? Puerto Vallarta has eveyrthing to be a bike-friendly city, but somehow it is not, yet...

Important cities around the world are looking back to the old bike for solutions on transit, contamination and obesity. Paris, Barcelona and Mexico City, to name just a few, have their own public rental-bike system. Amsterdam, Madrid and London have kilometers and kilometers of bike lanes.

Of course, those are big cities, with big problems that pushed them to look for solutions. But, why do we have to wait for the troubles to appear, in order to start thinking in a progressive way? There is nothing more progressive than embracing bikes as part of our city.

Can you imagine the whole Banderas Bay with a bike lane? Going from Boca de Tomatlan to Sayulita on your bike and without risking your life fighting against buses and all that crazy stuff happening on our streets?

Well, there is a group of bike-lovers, residents of Puerto Vallarta, who have that dream and are starting to organize and pushing initiatives to make Vallarta a bike-friendly place. The movement is  called: "Vía Recreactiva Vallarta. Iniciativa Ciudadana" (Vallarta Recre-Active Way. A Citizens' Movement).

They talk about "recovering public spaces" for hmm... the public! And yes, that's the whole point. The city is our city, and cyclists in Vallarta feel like their city is a bit anti-them (not to talk about bus drivers). So, they are pushing to get some roads closed on Sundays, just like in Guadalajara, Morelia and many cities in the continent. The idea is to have for a few hours on Sundays, a family-oriented space for the community, focused on sports and exercise.

Sadly, there are not enough public spaces especially designed for cyclists, and the cobblestone streets don't help. I mean, it is great to have cobblestone streets, it gives the place an air of a forgotten era, but just imagine the same picture with less cars and more people moving around in a greener, smoother and quiet way.

Let's build a bike culture in Puerto Vallarta. It would be great to be able to go to work on your bike, it just feels so good to feel... the wind hitting you in the face, you feel so alive when that happens, the stress is gone and the vibes are good.

Haven't felt that? Go get a bike.

The cycling revolution is here, let's be part of it!

If you love bikes and Vallarta, you can join the movement and help make our town a bike-friendly one.

[readon1 url="http://pvangels.com/charities/145/vallarta-en-bici"]Source:pvangels.com[/readon1]

The Mexican government has extended by a week its disarmament program in the state of Chiapas. The scheme – which involves swapping guns for computers, electronic gadgets, or cash – has proven popular with locals.

The arms swap campaign has been running since 2011 and has seen around 10,000 rifles, grenades, pistols, and cartridges traded in.

In exchange for their firearms, Mexicans can receive iPads, laptops, other computer equipment, TV sets, wheelchairs, or cash.

“It’s better to have this laptop than what I just handed over, that is useless and this I can use,” Martha Velasquez told RT’s video agency Ruptly.

“I had those cartridges that could only do harm, while now I exchange them and get something beneficial to my family,” said Victor Cordoba.

Attorney General Raciel Lopez Salazar said that Arms Swap 2014 will be extended by a week and will now end on Sunday November 9.

Officials are keen for all Mexican citizens to become involved as they attempt to change Mexico’s gun ownership culture.

“Undoubtedly the strategy has been instigated by Governor Manuel Velasco Coello, and it is made possible by the number of people who are participating in it,” said Salazar.

Mexican authorities have also introduced a number of other measures which are hoped to increase security, such as future joint operations with the army and federal and local police forces.

The Mexican government has also announced that it fully supports the work of President Enrique Peña Nieto in his bid to make Mexico a more peaceful country.

[readon1 url="http://rt.com/news/201539-mexico-guns-swap-ipads/"]Source:rt.com[/readon1]

Winning over new customers and ensuring that they keep doing business with your company are among the top priorities for small business owners. In a recent poll of 1,300 graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, the most common business challenge cited by participants entering the program was finding and keeping customers.

Patricia G. Greene, professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College and the national academic director of the 10,000 Small Businesses program, and Enrique Torres, president of Excellent Fruit & Produce and a program graduate, shared their insights about how small business owners can build a strong customer base and gain valuable, long-term customers.

I want to focus my efforts on boosting sales to customers. What are some smart approaches to lead generation?

Enrique Torres: I’d recommend collaborating with companies similar to your own when initiating a lead generation effort. As a distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables, our typical customer is a restaurant or a hotel. These customers also buy supplies like ice, dairy products, and meat from other distributors. We start by asking our customers about the services they’re receiving, and that’s how I get in touch with other distributors. I communicate with these distributors, and we exchange leads on accounts we aren’t currently serving together. That’s the power of networking and building relationships with other businesses.

Patricia Greene: I’d add that another way to improve lead generation is to create a process map, and it doesn’t have to be fancy. Determine where your best leads are coming from. If you categorize your leads by sources and see you’re getting the most leads from meetings at the local Chamber of Commerce, for example, that can show you the best place to spend your efforts and time. You can also learn a lot about lead generation from people outside your industry—they’re happy to talk because you’re not a competitor and sometimes you get really great ideas about how to get leads.

Once my company finds the sales leads it needs, how do I convert these leads into actual customers?

ET: I’ve found that it helps to understand how the potential customer is currently being served—and by whom—before making the first approach. By studying our competition, we’ve been better equipped to approach our leads. For example, some of my competitors require their customers to place their orders for next-day deliveries with a cut-off time of 8 P.M. But some customers see value in placing their orders at midnight after they close their kitchen operation and make an assessment of their produce needs. So we focus our sales pitch around an extended cut-off time. Learn what’s missing from your leads’ current service and find a way to fill that gap.

PG: There are different types of customers, so you win them in different ways. For example, there’s a huge difference between selling to the government versus selling to other businesses or to consumers. You have to understand your customers and spot their needs or pains so you can offer them a solution. Understanding their purchasing process is also important. The degrees of formality and informality in this process can vary, as well as how much flexibility you have in setting terms.

I’m not entirely sure how to meet the unique demands of the customers I’m targeting. How do I pick up on what my customers want or need most and find ways to address their problems?

PG: It shouldn’t just be your sales team listening to customer pain points—everybody should be listening. Too often, business owners don’t have a method of asking their customers how they’re doing. But having a system to take the pulse of your customers to see where they’re happy, where they can improve, and how your company is doing from the customers’ perspective can provide clear-cut solutions for addressing customers’ needs. Remember: sometimes you have to actually ask what their needs are.

ET: I find that an effective way to improve my customers’ value proposition is by asking them why they’re buying from us instead of our competitors. Whatever the answer is, the conversation allows me to present our strengths and easily improve the value proposition. As a by-product of this approach, I also learn what I should be doing better and I’ve actually implemented changes in my operations based upon that information.

PG: Getting that information is critical. If a customer is local, try to meet once a quarter over a cup of coffee. If it’s a large customer, maybe have them fill out a survey once per quarter. Get feedback and have a plan to build on that feedback.

I want to make sure my customers stay loyal and hopefully spend more with my company. How do I implement an effective customer retention strategy?

ET: We’ve learned the hard way that each of our accounts has four different people we need to satisfy in order to retain that customer: (1) the person who receives and inspects the product; (2) the executive chef in charge of the operation; (3) the food and beverage manager who ensures transparent purchasing procedures; and (4) the shareholder concerned about the bottom line of the business. Mapping each of our customers lets us stay aware that we should be delivering satisfactorily to all relevant parties within the account. We engage in frequent face time and build rapport with each of the four key players. So when we are tested, compared, and challenged by a competitor, we have a higher probability of continuing business with our customer.

PG: You should always have that level of great customer service. But apart from that, there are a number of retention strategies you can try, like loyalty incentives, pricing and multiple-purchasing incentives, or even customer education programs. Take a wine store that offers wine-tastings or hosts a wine class. Customer education can be a very effective way to drive sales, and sometimes that can be accomplished through partners. The manufacturers of the product may already have a program that you can participate in. Remember to always keep your eyes and ears open to see what your customers might benefit from and how you can deliver the kind of added value they’d appreciate enough to keep coming back.

These are just a few of the customer acquisition and retention strategies taught in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Share your small business advice in the comments section below, and visit www.goldmansachs.com/10000smallbusinesses for more information on how the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program can help you find, win and keep new customers.

[readon1 url="www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/secrets-to-generate-leads-retain-customers_n_6054676.html#eyJocmVmIjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5odWZmaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vIiwiYWRVbml0Ijp7InNlcnZlciI6ImlidyIsImlkIjoiOTM0MTY2MjIiLCJtb2JpbGUiOmZhbHNlfSwibGFiZWwiOiJIb21lcGFnZS0gQnJhbmQgQmxvZyBVbml0Iiwic2VsZWN0b3IiOiIjaHBfZmVhdHVyZWRfcG9zdHNfcGFnZV8xIC5lbnRyeTplcSgxKSIsImNyZWF0aXZlIjoiY2E2OGEwM2U0MTI4NGVkNjhiNDk1NjFhNjhjOGExMmIiLCJleHBlcmllbmNlVHlwZSI6ImluYm91bmQifQ=="]Source:www.huffingtonpost.com[/readon1]

Life happened. Stress... bad habits... work... fun... family, you name it.

Where do you turn? Warm milk? An expensive high-tech super mattress? Pills with a list of side effects as long as your arm?

Let's think smarter - think science - to create a better natural sleep aid.

Wait - another herbal sleeping pill?

No. A better way to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep - with seven ingredients, not one or two, so you can relax and fall into a natural, deeper R.E.M. sleep - the kind scientists tell us we need... and still wake up ready to take on the day.

Is there such a thing? There is... it's called Somnapure, a multi-functional natural sleep aid that's taken retailers like Walmart, Walgreens, GNC, and CVS by storm. In fact, Somnapure has generated a level of buzz that hasn't been seen in the sleep aid market for years. It's trite to say it's flying off the shelves, but in this case it's true!

The One Natural Sleep Aid that Has It All
It comes as no surprise that Somnapure is the brainchild of Harvard- and MIT-trained researchers who have the knowledge and skill to make what some are calling 'the ultimate' natural sleep aid.

"We started asking ourselves what compounds would work synergistically to help people get to sleep asleep easily and encourage deep R.E.M. sleep," said the research team leader. "Once we answered that question, it became a matter of trial and error, until we discovered the precise levels of each ingredient needed to make Somnapure effective. That process took several months, but when we finished we knew Somnapure was something very special."

Somnapure includes the ideal levels of seven time-tested ingredients to help increase the alpha brain waves that promote relaxation so you can drift gently to sleep, as slumber-disturbing agitation seems to fade. Plus, Somnapure helps to regulate and enhance your natural cycle so you stay asleep longer and spend more time in R.E.M. sleep.

Best of all, Somnapure is NOT habit forming. In the morning you feel refreshed and energized... not foggy and confused.

Better yet, samples of Somnapure are currently available so you can experience results risk-free.

Claim a 14-day sample now and see for yourself.

The Benefits of Natural Sleep Supplements

    Fall Asleep Faster
    Stay Asleep Longer
    Wake up Feeling Refreshed and Rejuvenated
    Safe and Effective All Natural Ingredients
    Non-Habit Forming

[readon1 url="http://lifestylejournal.com/somnapure/?aff=1169&sub=somnaTaa1&utm_medium=thehuffingtonpost"]Source:lifestylejournal.com[/readon1]

We've heard it once. We've heard it twice. And we're sure to hear it again: Fast food jobs aren't "real jobs." They're for teenagers who need extra cash or for young workers who need a "launching pad" to a better job down the line.

These sort of assumptions get thrown around all the time. "Why can't you get a real job?" a Montana judge asked a 21-year-old fast food worker convicted of vandalism in June, implying that a different job would help him pay off his restitution quicker.

But in reality, fast food jobs are a very real segment of our economy. And for many real moms, dads and other working people, they're a very real source of income too.

So the next time someone says fast food jobs aren't "real," please remember some of these points:
For years, the fast food industry has created jobs at a faster rate than the rest of the economy.

Since the recession ended, we've seen a troublingly uneven recovery, in which many of the middle-income jobs lost from 2008 to 2010 have been replaced by low-wage jobs. And fast food jobs are a large reason why, outpacing the country's overall job growth.

“Fast food is driving the bulk of the job growth at the low end -- the job gains there are absolutely phenomenal,” Michael Evangelist, a policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group, told The New York Times in April.

According to an NELP report, 44 percent of jobs added in the past four years have been low-wage jobs that pay workers around $10 an hour.

The majority of fast food workers aren't teenagers, but real adults with real responsibilities.

Opponents of raising wages for fast food workers often say that those jobs are mostly for teenagers living with their parents who are just looking for some extra spending money. But that's not true anymore.

Increasingly, fast food jobs are being filled by adults who need full-time work. According to an analysis of government data by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, 70 percent of fast-food workers are 20 or older these days.

Real adults, with real families.

CEPR's analysis also found that more than 1 in 4 fast food workers have a child. For what it's worth, it costs about $245,000 to raise a kid.

So the fast food industry's low wages end up having a very real impact on taxpayers.

Because fast food pay is low, workers often have to rely on public assistance programs like food stamps and Medicaid to get by, which ends up costing American taxpayers billions of d

Fast food workers are gaining momentum as a real labor group to be reckoned with.

Over the past two years, fast food workers have come together to organize a series of massive strikes calling for a $15 minimum wage and the right to unionize. The most recent protests spread to about 150 cities.
And their strikes have helped make some very real change for all low-wage workers.

Fast food workers haven't had much success unionizing. But throughout the course of their two years of striking, 13 states and 10 local governments have raised their minimum wage. Democrats are now leaning on the minimum wage as an issue that can bring them support from both sides of the political spectrum. ollars every year.

[readon1 url="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/27/fast-food-jobs-real_n_6028404.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular"]Source:www.huffingtonpost.com[/readon1]

When an airline loses your luggage, it can take hours or even days to get someone to tell you where it ended up -- if it ever turns up at all. Wouldn't it be easier to hear from the luggage itself?

That's the promise of "smart luggage," in which GPS tracking chips are embedded in bags capable of transmitting their locations to travelers and even contacting airlines directly when they get lost.

The jumbo jet maker Airbus introduced a concept design for smart luggage at the Paris Air Show last year. The product, known as Bag2Go, can be tracked via a smartphone app. It also allows for self-service check-ins and can weigh itself to ensure that it meets airline requirements.

 AT&T (T, Tech30) unveiled a similar concept at a demonstration of its "next-generation technologies" in May. The company envisions integrating the product with standard suitcases and bags -- perhaps through an attachable tag -- though it could also be built into suitcases directly.

The ultimate plan is to for the luggage to work with airlines' IT systems, contacting the carriers directly and arranging for delivery to your home or hotel.

These products are still in the developmental stage and will need approval from federal regulators, but they're sure to find some grateful customers: U.S. airlines mishandled over 141,000 bags in April, according to government statistics, or about three bags for every 1,000 passengers.

American circus performer Emmett Kelly Sr. lifts his hat at the circus in 1943.

It sounds like something made up just in time for Halloween. Several reports from France of attacks by people dressed as clowns -- and armed with anything from knives to baseball bats -- have been making headlines in Europe. Taken with the recent sightings reported by some communities in Florida, New Mexico and Indiana, among others, it is easy to wonder what is going on. What is it about clowns? Why these strange sightings now?
 
 But to those of us who have been following what is proving to be an unusually lively period of clown reports -- whether they be actual crimes or simply hoaxes -- neither the reports themselves, nor the peculiar interest in these incidents, is all that surprising.

For a start, while these developments are notable, the recent outbreak of such activity is actually not without precedent.

In the mid-1980s, for example, a number of episodes were recorded on both sides of the Atlantic, first in Scotland and then in various towns across New England, as people reported clowns in ice cream vans attempting to lure children.

We also know that clowns inhabit fertile ground in terms of phobias -- after all, they can invoke anything from a fear of masks, to stranger danger, to our anxieties regarding public humiliation. (And that's not to mention the question of why a grown person would dress this way, in a kind of asexual fetishism).

Meanwhile, the Clowns of America International, the professional organization representing U.S. clowns, has reported a significant decline in the number of students attending clown school in recent years.

So it is possible, then, that these two elements -- the decline in "licensed" clown performers and the rise in the number of "sinister" sightings -- are more closely related than they seem. After all, all forms of monstrosity are essentially commentaries on the nature of humanity's social relations (the Twilight books and movies, for example, offer a straightforward examination of adolescent sexuality explored through the lens of a vampire/human/werewolf menage.)

Indeed, in many ways, the crisis in the clown community mirrors the anxieties that are felt across many sectors of society -- class friction, social estrangement and an economy many still feel uncertain over.

Keep in mind that clowns have always been marginal members of society. In the Middle Ages, the fool was a scapegoat and outcast, an egregious misfit with license to speak truth to power. In the 20th century, the two greatest clowns were essentially homeless indigents: "Weary Willie," the unshaven and ragged hobo clown of Emmett Kelly, emerged straight from the American Dust Bowl, while Charlie Chaplin was known simply as "the Tramp."

In all these instances, clowns enjoy a relationship to society that is tenuous at best. In this sense, it is no great leap to say that dressing up as a scary clown is an expression of anti-social alienation, especially when coupled with another phenomenon that we might term "industrial nostalgia."

The stereotypical scary clown almost always takes its inspiration from clowns associated with the golden age of the American big top circus. These white face clowns with their colorful hair and costumes are known as "Joeys" in honor of the great comedian, Joseph Grimaldi, and evoke a specific time in American history, a time of optimism and potential.

But this golden age has passed, and our ideas of clowns are now set against a backdrop of recession, social atomization and a distrust of traditional institutions. When seen from the vantage point of the present, the Joeys of the big top seem hopelessly naive, the leering remnants of an industrial past whose promises are unfulfilled. It also seems no coincidence that the narratives that employ scary clowns so often associate them with failed businesses -- empty music halls echoing with the ghosts of past laughter or abandoned theme parks repurposed as lairs.

The idea of the scary clown, then, taps into the frustrations and fears of a time in which so many are feeling themselves pushed into the margins.

So, should you think you see a clown peering through your curtains this Halloween, take comfort in the fact that it's nothing personal.

The image of that grinning, shock-haired psychopath you are imagining is in your wardrobe will probably start to fade when the economy turns around.

Most memorable clowns

[readon1 url="http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/31/opinion/stott-clowns-france/index.html?hpt=hp_c4"]Source:www.cnn.com[/readon1]

For many 50+ women, work is becoming more and more contractual and virtual, pushing us to develop new ideas and to reinvent ourselves.

As we determine our next income-producing strategy, it might be time to develop a financial defense strategy that preserves our assets while we’re planning the next stage of our lives.

That’s why I think single women over 50 might want to relocate to Mexico as I’m doing.

My Move to Mazatlan

I recently left my home in Denver and traveled to Mazatlan (a Mexican city across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula) to determine if I could approximate in Mexico the features of a good life for a single woman in the U.S. — and at what cost.

I also wanted to see how connected I could stay to friends and family stateside as I researched new work opportunities.

Many people have chosen to move to Mexico to stretch their savings, of course. And there are plenty of books, websites and chat rooms geared to life there for an expat. But most contributors to those resources are part of a couple, with different priorities than those of a single woman.

    I wanted to know things like:
    Would I be able to find single girl friends?
    How could I stay in shape?
    How could I keep in touch with my friends back home?
    And the ever-important: How much would it cost for me to be happy there on my own?

I figured, if I couldn’t answer those questions, what else mattered? After spending a month with my flip-flops on the ground, I’ve realized that I didn’t need to have an answer for every challenge of living in Mexico for the rest of my life. Instead, I should have focused more on the basics, studying customs procedures and practicing currency exchange. Managing money produced much more anxiety on the trip than any fear of Dengue fever.

Mexico's Allures for Single Women Over 50

After my immersive approach to life in Mazatlan, I’ve identified nine reasons why single women over 50 should consider moving to Mexico:

1. Life is more interesting here. Many people suggested I move somewhere in the U.S. that had a cheaper cost of living than Denver, such as Stratton, Colorado or Dallas, Texas. But I think living on the beach and taking a water taxi to the gym is way better. I still have a lot of adventure left in me.

2. You can make your nest egg last longer. Living in Mexico is less expensive than many parts of America. Once I found a place I liked on the beach, I calculated I’d cut my monthly expenses by half. Once I learn my way around, I bet I’ll spend even less, which will help make my savings last longer.

3. Technology has made connecting with people in the U.S. easier than ever. Facebook, Skype, Viber (a service that lets you call or send messages or photos to other Viber users anywhere for free) and online has created numerous ways of staying in touch.

Long-term friendships, a lifeblood for most women, are much easier to maintain abroad than even five years ago. Some friends will require a bit more coaching (as I did), but once you walk them through the steps of setting up internet-based communication, it’s easy.

4. It’s easy to make new friends there. Ever-larger expat communities in Mexico, largely Canadian and American, means there are more people to meet. Expat living promotes an egalitarianism that facilitates building friendships quickly with women of all ages and backgrounds.

Within two weeks of my arrival, I was strolling down the Malecon (a stone embankment or esplanade along a waterfront), drinking horchata (a dairy-free, sweet milky beverage) and swooning over hand-made purses with women I felt like I‘d known for years.

5. As a single woman, you won’t feel shy asking for help and advice. There’s truth to those stereotypes that women ask for directions but men don’t. I’ve found that women are typically more comfortable asking for help and advice than men.

This attribute comes in handy when you move abroad, since you’ll be on a constant quest for information. Whether it’s ‘What rent should I expect to pay?’ or ‘What’s the Spanish word for celery salt?,’ being able to ask is an essential skill in a new country.

6. It’s a great place to be when you’re in a life transition. Many of my friends moved to new cities after going through a divorce and I’ve discovered that a sojourn in Mexico can offer a distracting change in environment that lets you financially tread water while putting yourself back together. People laughingly told me that half the expats in Mazatlan were recovering from breakups.

7. Your sense of opportunity will be on overdrive. Within hours of landing in Mexico, I was already thinking of new business enterprises that would allow me to earn income there. Expats are often inspired to meet local unmet needs that seem obvious when you just arrive.

8. It’s a cinch to go back and forth to the states when you want. As a single person, you only have your own agenda and schedule to follow. So it’s a breeze to pick up and go.

9. Living arrangements here can be more flexible when you’re single. I’m sharing a house near the marina for my first six months in Mexico with a wonderful Canadian who has lived in Mazatlan for 12 years and is eager to introduce me to life there. That kind of arrangement is a great way to get to know a place and have fun, too.

Kerry Baker is a fundraising professional and development consultant currently living in Mexico who is researching and writing about topics related to single women dividing their time working and living in Mexico and the U.S. Her U.S. home is Denver, Co.