Cost of Platt & Truant's Unicorn Western Download on Amazon: Nothing

A new Kindle title that smashes traditional genre boundaries is available to download at no cost on Amazon from Midnight tonight. Unicorn Western, usual price $2.99, will be available at no cost all day on December 26.

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
A new Kindle title that smashes traditional genre boundaries is available to download free on Amazon from Midnight tonight. Unicorn Western, usual price $2.99, will be available free all day on December 26.
The novella, by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant, can be downloaded to read on a Kindle, web browser, or Amazon's Kindle app.
"We know that top of pretty much everyone's Christmas wish list this year was the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Fire HD," said Platt.
"Johnny and I decided to give Unicorn Western for free the day after Christmas as our little Christmas gift to our fans and to new Kindle owners. What better way to give your new touchscreen tablet a whirl than by trying out a brand new genre?"
Part traditional western, and part whimsical fantasy, Unicorn Western is set in a dying world of sand and magic. It tells the story of gun-slinging, unicorn-riding cowboy Clint Gulliver, who together with his trusty unicorn Edward, must make his way through the uncrossable Sands to save the fading Kingdom of the Realm.
"In some ways, the story is surreal, crazy and experimental," Johnny B. Truant said. "Cowboys don't usually ride unicorns, and their guns don't smoke with a pink vapor.
"But at the same time, we've spun a yarn that aims to grip readers' eyeballs and make them break into fits of giggles for the very first page. We're storytellers at heart. We just can't help it. The only thing Sean and I love more than reading a ripping yarn is writing one."
The idea for Unicorn Western was conceived inadvertently by Sean Platt's usual writing partner, David Wright.
When Platt told Wright he planned to write a western without doing any research, Wright replied that he couldn't wait to see it.
"It will probably have freaking unicorns in it," Wright added.
Platt accepted the implicit challenge, and decided to write a Western with unicorn-riding cowboys, inviting Truant to co-author the new genre.
"I can't believe they actually did it," Wright said. "What were they thinking?"
Sean Platt's previous books include the post-apocalyptic serial thrillers Yesterday's Gone, published by indie imprint Collective Inkwell and Z 2134, published by Amazon's horror imprint, 47North. Platt co-write both of these serials with David Wright.
Johnny B. Truant's self-published credentials, meanwhile, include The Bialy Pimps and Fat Vampire.
Both Platt and Truant set the bar high with their fiction, averaging over four stars out of five on every full-length fiction title they've written. Together with David Wright, they host the Self Publishing Podcast and the Better Off Undead podcast.

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Shaftesbury Hotels Brings Exclusive Offers for the Guests During Christmas

The hotels of Shaftesbury chains are known for their finesse, comfort and class. During the festive season, the hotel brings a wide range of attractive packaged deals in order to offer the guests with longer stays.

(PRWEB UK) 25 December 2012
Throughout the year, the hotel offers various deals and discount packages to attract travellers of various budgetary backgrounds. However, the festive season is special and for this reason, the guests coming to this hotel are going to get some special treatments.
For a longer stay in the Shaftesbury hotel chains during the festive seasons, the guests are going to get a range of special offers. Take a look here.

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New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer David Perecman Weighs in on Physician’s Affair with Patient

New York medical malpractice lawyer David Perecman discusses sexual relationships between patients and their doctors, and deserved repercussions, following a ruling from the NY State Court of Appeals. The court said it was medical malpractice for a family doctor to have an affair with his patent, who he was treating for depression and anxiety. The doctor was ordered to pay the patient almost $400,000 in damages.

New York, New York (PRWEB) December 25, 2012

The NY State Court of Appeals ruled it was medical malpractice for a Long Island family doctor to have an affair with a patient after she went to him with anxiety and depression. The court said that the sexual relationship interfered with the treatment so as to constitute medical malpractice, reportedThe Wall Street Journal. The medical community has long considered that a doctor’s affair with a patient amounts to an ethical violation. Such behavior has typically not been classified as malpractice until now, said New York medical malpractice lawyer David Perecman.

The married model at the center of the lawsuit said her nine-month affair with the doctor 'destroyed her life', reported The Wall Street Journal. After Kristin Kahkonen Dupree told her husband about the affair, he had filed for divorce.

The doctor, James Giugliano, was ordered to pay Dupree almost $400,000 in damages, reported the WSJ.

The court had considered the argument that Dupree’s romantic feelings resulted from "eroticized transference," from the patient shifting emotions toward Giugliano, her therapist, said the WSJ. Giugliano's lawyer had countered that the affair was consensual and unrelated to treatment.

“Sexual relations between patients and doctors who are actively treating them are not previously unheard of ethical dilemmas. What has changed is the possible repercussions of such behavior,” said Perecman.

“Whether the affair was consensual or not, there should be consequences for the doctor. It is entirely wrong for a medical professional to be sexually involved with one of his or her current patients,” he added.

The case is Kristin Kahkonen Dupree v. James E. Giugliano, No. 204 (N.Y. 2012) - New York Court of Appeals.

Lawyers at The Perecman Firm can provide knowledgeable, aggressive representation for victims of medical malpractice in New York. Contact The Perecman Firm at 212-977-7033.

About David Perecman and The Perecman Firm, PLLC:

For the past 30 years, the New York construction accident, medical malpractice, auto accident, and civil rights violation lawyers at The Perecman Firm, PLLC have handled all types of New York medical malpractice cases. David Perecman, founder of the Firm, has been recognized for his achievements as an Honoree in the National Law Journal's Hall of Fame, in New York Magazine's "The Best Lawyers in America" and The New York Times Magazine "New York Super Lawyers, Metro Edition" for the years 2007-2010. The prestigious U.S. News & World Report ranks The Perecman Firm among the top 20 personal injury firms in New York City for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

The Firm has recovered millions of dollars for its clients. Among the more recent victories, Mr. Perecman won a $15 million verdict** for a construction accident (Index 112370/03) Supreme Court, New York County, a $5.35 million dollar verdict*** for an automobile accident (Index 2749/04) Supreme Court, Kings County, and a $40 million dollar structured settlement for medical malpractice (Index 2146/03)****Supreme Court, Kings County.

The Perecman Firm serves Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, Upstate NY, Morris County, and Rockland County.

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Fine Treatment Reviews Customer Christmas Enquiries about Thermobalancing Therapy for Kidney Stones, BPH & Heart Disease with Improved Blood Circulation, and Self-Healing

Several Christmas enquiries regarding the efficacy of the Thermobalancing therapy have referred to faith and its role in self-healing. While recognizing the importance of positive thinking, Fine Treatment highlights that scientifically self-healing can be achieved with improved blood circulation treating chronic conditions, such as coronary heart disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and kidney stones.

London, UK (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
This Christmas time Fine Treatment has received a number of customer enquiries concerning the power of faith and self-healing. A quote from The Bible says, “He healed everybody who came to Him” (Acts 10:38, Matthew, Luke 6:19). So it has been highlighted that the belief in Jesus would bring self-healing.
Interestingly, “the blood is a powerful, freeing, and protecting provision from God”, says the AllAboutGOD.com website. Scientific research shows that blood is an important healing factor, and the improved blood circulation in and around an impaired organ of the body facilitates its healing. So Fine Treatment recommends the Thermobalancing therapy for the treatment of common chronic conditions. It improves the blood flow locally in the affected organ, which can be the heart, kidneys, prostate or others.
An article in the Great Bible Study on ‘Is it God's will to heal you?’ explores: “Why is it so important to know that it's God's will to heal us? Because when we approach God for something, we are told to have faith and believe that we will receive what we are asking, and we will receive it.”
While staying positive – believing in a positive outcome – is an important healing factor, it may not be enough. The natural Thermobalancing therapy has its roots in scientific research on the functioning of capillaries, i.e. small blood vessels present everywhere in the body. The therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of impairments with improved blood circulation at the capillary level.
Contrary to the natural and harmless treatment with the Thermobalancing Therapy and the enabling it Dr. Allen’s Devices, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for kidney stones removal, and surgeries for BPH or heart, are risky as complications and additional health problems can follow.
Commenting on its efficacy, Dr. Allen’s Device for Prostate Care helps to reduce the size of the prostate naturally. Dr. Allen’s therapeutic device works 24 hours a day and creates an ideal environment for blood to pass through capillaries in the affected prostate tissue. The improved blood flow cleanses the prostate and over time allows the body to repair itself through its own restorative mechanisms. Please watch a short informative video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5xidswhxJM.
Also, the Thermobalancing therapy is the safest way to pass a kidney stone. And it helps to save money by avoiding harmful ESWL and surgeries. The costs of ESWL in the USA, according to the New Choice Health, Medical Costs Comparison, vary tremendously from, $13.700 to $29.000. Moreover, shock waves cannot be used for large kidney stones and cannot prevent a recurrence of kidney stones.
Dr. Allen’s device for heart treatment starts to work straightaway, and the users experience its benefits from day one of wearing it. Dr. Mohamed S. Awad, Medical Doctor, Tanta University Hospitals, Egypt explains, “The new Thermobalancing Therapy by Dr. Allen increases the blood flow inside the heart tissue and in the coronary arteries, thus improving the condition of heart muscle. Dr. Allen’s device is considered effective at every phase of heart diseases and can relieve chest pain and other symptoms associated with myocardial infarction or angina pectoris.”
“The improvement of blood flow in an affected area is the most effective and safe treatment approach, particularly for internal chronic diseases such as BPH, kidney stones and coronary heart disease,” says Dr. Simon Allen. “Dr. Allen’s therapeutic device is the best health-giving gift for Christmas and the New Year.”
For details, visit Fine Treatment at http://finetreatment.com/bph-treatment-prostate-enlargement.
About Dr. Simon Allen and Fine Treatment:

Dr. Simon Allen is a highly experienced medical professional. His specialty is in the internal medicine and cardio-vascular field. He has treated a wide range of chronic diseases, including patients after a heart attack, with kidneys problems, including kidney stones disease, prostate and spine conditions, as well as metabolic disorders. Fine Treatment exclusively offers Dr. Allen’s devices for chronic prostatitis and BPH treatment, coronary heart disease, dissolving kidney stones, as well as back pain and sciatica relief.

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CourtRecord.com Offers New Conviction Reviews for All U.S. Residents

The new CourtRecord.com offers conviction reviews for all U.S. states when running a court record search or background check.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
CourtRecord.com, a leading force in the court record search industry, now provides new conviction reviews for all names searched on the site. Enter in a full name and find out the criminal and arrest records of anyone in the United States.
Whether businesses need to run a background check or parents are wondering about a child care provider, it is recommended that a court record search be done to make sure that person is not a criminal. From arrest records to warrant statuses, a court record can show it all.
CourtRecord.com offers information on arrests, convictions, sex offender status, probation felonies, revoked licenses and more. Gain peace of mind or really get to know who a person is with a court records search.
The website offers a real name searching service that reviews a nationwide database to find any legal information or other public records relating to a person. The CourtRecord.com database grows daily by the thousands with names and records from all 50 states.
CourtRecord.com is your best choice for a court records search online. With hundreds of satisfied customers reviewed daily, there’s no reason why a court record search has to take long or be expensive with this website.
About CourtRecord.com

As a powerful resource at your fingertips, CourtRecord.com is a top choice on the Internet for court records search. With a nationwide court record system, CourtRecord.com can turn up thousands of records across North America in minutes. Contact customer service through email at josh(at)courtrecord.com or by calling 1-866-434-4253.

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Showrooming little threat to clothiers in ho-hum holidays

 In retail, showrooming has not hit shirts yet.
Showrooming, the retail term for shoppers who try a product, then buy it cheaper on Amazon.com or other websites, has driven retailers to the point of hiding barcodes, improving their own websites and coming up with methods to get people to complete their purchase in the store.
But brand-name clothing retailers have an advantage over companies that sell items you can buy anywhere, like televisions and home goods.
"Specialty apparel retailers are some of the least affected by showrooming since the more exclusive the product is, the harder it is to showroom," said Joel Bines, managing director of the retail practice at advisory firm AlixPartners.
That, in turn, has helped retailers like Gap Inc and Lululemon Athletica Inc find favor with investors.
A survey of 2,010 adults conducted by AlixPartners showed consumers who shop for apparel were among the least likely (35 percent) to go to other websites after they liked an item at a store, compared with 42 percent of electronics shoppers and 41 percent of those looking for accessories like watches and jewelry.
"If you look at some of the most successful (clothes) companies in the past few years, they are those that have that moat around them," said hedge fund manager Shawn Kravetz, who runs Esplanade Capital in Boston.
He cites yogawear maker Lululemon and Gap as good examples of how it can help to have clothes that are not sold elsewhere.
If a shopper wants to buy a Banana Republic or Nordstrom shirt from the latest season, they have to buy it either from their stores or online shop.
Discount retailers like Zappos, Amazon and others stock brand-name products, but the merchandise is often not from the current season or limited in colors and sizes.
"I don't need to see if a television fits my body shape when I buy a TV," said Joe Megibow, senior vice president of omni-channel e-commerce at American Eagle Outfitters. The teen clothes retailer has seen better sales than its peers over the past year.
"I can get a sense of the TV and I'm good. Clothing is different. Does it fit me, is it my style, do I like the quality of the material and how it is put together. There's so much more with apparel that matters," he said.
That is the part of the reason, analysts say, why online-only clothing companies like Bonobos and Gap's Piperlime have started opening brick-and-mortar stores or tied up with retailers to sell their products in physical locations.
Choice and easy availability are the two most important aspects of shopping, especially during a holiday season that has lost steam after what looked like strong Thanksgiving sales.
Estelle Tran, an "impulsive" shopper in her twenties, agreed.
"If I want to buy books, tech items, DVDs, I would definitely buy online. For clothes, I would rather (visit stores) as it is also a fun experience to try on clothes," said the Chicago-based finance auditor.
Tran said she would definitely check prices online if she was spending more than $100.
Luxury and high-priced items can be more susceptible to showrooming, because pricing is what drives the behavior, said Marshal Cohen, chief economist at the consultancy NPD Group.
"With electronics and certain consumer goods it is very easy to compare specific brands across multiple websites. But (showrooming is) happening and it will be growing. If a (clothes) retailer isn't taking it seriously, they are going to fall behind," said Bolette Andersen, principal in KPMG's retail industry practice.
ROOM TO GROW
Some investors are betting on apparel stocks because of their relative insulation from the threat of showrooming.
While the S&P Apparel Index has returned a sizzling 27.71 percent year to date, according to Reuters data, far outperforming the S&P 500, which is up 14.80 percent, more gains may be coming.
"We still think there's plenty of room to grow," said Brian Peery, co-portfolio manager at Hennessy Funds. Its growth fund, heavily weighted in apparel and consumer discretionary goods shares, is up 30 percent over the year.
"As we look into the sector 12-18 months, we continue to buy the discretionary area. Two of our heaviest investments would be Foot Locker Inc and TJX Companies Inc," he said.
Discount chains like TJX and Ross Stores, which sell branded clothes at low prices, have benefited from the surge in bargain-seeking shoppers.
Even the stocks of retailers like Gap and American Eagle that have staged or are staging turnarounds have gotten a good boost over the year. Gap has soared 69 percent and American Eagle is up 31 percent.
R. Shawn Neville, president of Avery Dennison retail branding and information solutions, said another reason that apparel and to a broader extent other consumer discretionary stocks do well is because of their sustainability.
"In uncertain times, investors look towards market segments that have strong underlying demand which are more stable, like the apparel industry," Neville said.
Moreover, in times of economic uncertainty, shoppers can still afford clothes and shoes, as opposed to a new car, home, or expensive vacations, helping apparel stocks do well, he said.
"Though Amazon is clearly stealing some share in various categories, clothes retailers, say Abercrombie & Fitch isn't going anywhere. They're not being run out of the shopping mall," said Esplanade's Kravetz.

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Canada spending growth sluggish in November, Mastercard says

 Canada's holiday shopping season got off to a slow start in November with retail sales rising only 1.3 percent from the previous year, compared with 4.2 percent growth a year earlier, according to data released by MasterCard on Thursday.
Still, the shopping season was still young in November. MasterCard Advisors, the payment company's research and consulting division, found that in recent years, holiday shopping peaks from December 20 to December 22.
"Many Canadians may have gotten an early start with Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, but it's still a very young phenomenon in Canada," Senior Vice-President Richard McLaughlin, said in a release.
The Friday after U.S. Thanksgiving is the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season south of the border, and in recent years retailers have imported Black Friday sales to Canada.
Some also promote online sales the following Monday.
Canada's online retail sales continued to grow in November, increasing 26.4 percent.

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Canadian speedskater Denny Morrison breaks leg while cross-country skiing

Canadian speedskater Denny Morrison is expected to be out of action until March after breaking his leg while cross-country skiing.
Speedskating Canada says Morrison broke the fibula in his left leg Saturday while training on his own in Fernie, B.C., where he was visiting family for the holidays.
Morrison, the reigning world champion in the 1,500 metres and current World Cup leader in the 1,000 metres, has since returned to Calgary to meet with the national team's medical staff and specialists to further evaluate the injury and establish a rehab program.
"I'm optimistic about my recovery," Morrison said in a statement Sunday. "I'm expecting to be in good form for the World Single Distances Championships in March, which are also a venue test event for the Sochi 2014 Olympics."
The 27-year-old from Fort St. John, B.C., competed in all five fall World Cups this season, winning gold and silver medals in the 1,000 metres.
Morrison was a gold and silver medallist in team pursuit at the 2010 and 2006 Olympics, respectively, and has 37 individual medals and 12 in team pursuit in 55 career World Cups.

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Humperdinck's 'Haensel und Gretel' a treat for young and old at Vienna's Volksoper

At the end of the evening, the witch was toast Sunday — or more precisely a gingerbread cookie — and the audience at Vienna's Volksoper loved it.
Of course, with many at the performance of "Haensel und Gretel" at Vienna's second opera house under the age of 6, one could argue that it was an easy sell. And yes, the fairy tale set to music by Engelbert Humperdinck is bound to please kids, even if the singers and the orchestra are sub-par — which they weren't this evening.
For the youngsters it's mostly about the action on stage. Like past generations, the children at Saturday's performance watched wide-eyed, captivated by the story of the brother and sister who get lost in the woods, are captured by the witch and finally escape her by tossing her in the oven, where, in this version of the tale, she turns into a huge gingerbread cookie.
But more than half of the audience Saturday was adults without children, which tells us that there is much more to this opera than just a fairy tale that Vienna's "Omas" and "Opas" take their grandkids to, come Christmas.
Humperdinck worked with Richard Wagner, the master of German operatic folklore, and his music, is Wagnerian — rich, lyrical and vaguely reminiscent of some of the German master's early works. The vocal line is melodic and ranges from pretty to the sublime, evoking occasional frissons even from grey-haired opera goers who have long outgrown fairy tales.
This is music worth performing well. And it was, this Saturday.
As Gretel, Rebecca Nelsen started off well and grew stronger. Her light-lyric soprano was a good fit for the role and she mugged her way admirably through the part of the young waif who saves her and her brother before they turn kids the witch has turned into gingerbread back to life.
Mezzo Adrineh Simonian was Nelsen's perfect dramatic foil as the bumptious older brother who narrowly escapes turning into the witch's Sunday roast. Her voice — and acting — harmonized well with Nelsen's performance.
Robert Woerle was a witch with a difference. The Volksoper version of a production from Karl Doench that premiered more than two decades ago has a man in that role, and what Woerle doesn't deliver terms of voice, he more than compensates for in terms of the creepy factor. His solo "Hur, hopp" as the witch rants about his evil plans for the kids, was a highlight Saturday.
Sebastian Holecek was strong as Peter, the children's poverty-stricken father, tossing off his signature "Ach, wir armen, armen Leute (Oh, we poor, poor, people)" in a powerful and carefree manner that belied the difficulties of this aria. But Gertrud Ottenthal, as his wife, occasionally had to slide into some of her higher notes.
Also good: Sera Goesch as the Sandman and Claudia Goebl as the Dew Man.
In the orchestra pit, conductor Alfred Eschwe did justice to the full Germanic tapestry of the score, weaving a polyphonic musical manuscript to the onstage goings on.
A work for kids? Not only. Richard Strauss, the great German composer of the early and mid-20th century, described Haensel und Gretel as "a masterwork of the highest quality," and its creator as "a great master."

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Insight: Security fears dogged Canada debate on China energy bid

In September, two months after China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd made an unexpected $15.1 billion bid for Canadian energy company Nexen Inc, Canada's spy agency told ministers that takeovers by Chinese companies may threaten national security.
The rare warning from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which was disclosed to Reuters by intelligence sources, did not stop the takeover. That was approved by Canadian authorities earlier this month.
But the intervention and an influential U.S. lawmaker's warning in October that Canadian companies should be careful about doing business with Chinese telecom equipment companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp made the approval process for the deal more difficult than initially expected.
"CSIS did not like the Nexen bid and thought it was a bad idea for Chinese firms to be investing in the oil sands. It all played into their greater fears about firms like Huawei," said one person familiar with the agency's concerns. "They do not want to wake up one day and realize a crucial sector of the economy is under the control of foreign interests."
And after listening to the spy service, which usually keeps a low profile, Canada drew up surprisingly tough foreign investment rules that were unveiled when approving the Nexen deal, China's biggest-ever successful foreign takeover. In a clampdown on companies it deems influenced by foreign governments, Canada will block similar purchases in the future.
CSIS has been silent about what it said to Ottawa on the Nexen transaction, and it declined to comment for this story. It didn't specifically recommend the CNOOC deal be blocked, but rather warned more generally about such deals with Chinese entities, the person said.
In reality, the government was unlikely to want to block the CNOOC bid, given a high-profile push by Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier in the year to boost ties with China, and given that a lot of Nexen's assets are outside Canada, and it has underperformed other energy companies.
SPECIFIC WORRIES
By pushing back aggressively, CSIS ensured that it got foreign investment policy tightened significantly to deter similar such takeovers by companies under the sway of foreign governments.
"I think people at CSIS and elsewhere are going 'Good. That was a very good response by the government'," said Ray Boisvert, a former CSIS assistant director of intelligence, who retired this year after almost three decades at the agency.
"It did reflect some of those deep strategic concerns that practitioners have had about this kind of investment."
Specific worries include theft of Canadian intellectual property, espionage, computer hacking and foreign companies gaining too much influence over crucial sectors of the economy, said the person familiar with the agency's views.
The government could, in theory, nationalize assets if it thought foreign control was problematic. But the pro-business Conservatives would likely find it politically unpalatable to take such a step.
"To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead," Harper said as he announced the new investment rules.
In October, the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee urged U.S. firms to stop doing business with Huawei and another Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE on the grounds that Beijing could use products made by the two companies to spy.
The House Intelligence Committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, urged Canada to take a similar stance, and two days later, the Canadian government indicated it would not let Huawei help build a secure government communications network because of possible security risks.
"The Huawei business caused a lot of political complications for the CNOOC bid," another person familiar with the CNOOC deal said of the U.S. committee's report.
Both Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the allegations in the report, and China's foreign ministry dismissed as "baseless" the idea that security concerns could impede commercial ties.
"We hope that the relevant party can objectively and justly treat Chinese companies' overseas investment and cooperation plans, and stop actions which harm Chinese companies' image and do more to benefit the promotion of bilateral trade and business cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
CLANDESTINE SUPPORT
In its annual report, released in September, CSIS noted risks that included espionage and illegal technology transfers, and said some foreign state-owned enterprises had "pursued opaque agendas or received clandestine intelligence support for their pursuits" in Canada.
The agency did not give details, but added: "When foreign companies with ties to foreign intelligence agencies or hostile governments seek to acquire control over strategic sectors of the Canadian economy, it can represent a threat to Canadian security interests."
CSIS, hit by controversy in 2010 after its head suggested China had too much influence over some Canadian provincial politicians, did not mention any country or firm in its report.
It is unclear how much, if any, influence the United States had on the Canadian authorities' foreign investment policy.
Fen Hampson, head of the global security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario, said he had learned that a U.S. official visited Ottawa in the last few months to discuss mutual concerns about foreign state-owned enterprises.
U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson told Reuters he was not aware of such a meeting, but he noted that officials from the two countries met constantly. "I would be surprised if almost any issue you could think of has not come up in one or more of those conversations," he said. "The United States has not sought to influence Canada's decision with respect to that (CNOOC's bid)... We respect that decision."
The Canadian government did not respond to a request for a comment.
Chinese companies have bought up smaller Canadian energy firms before, but the July 23 bid for Nexen was their first attempt to buy one of the larger players.
Nexen has assets in Canada, the North Sea, Nigeria and the Gulf of Mexico. Technology that Nexen and its partners use for deep sea drilling could interest CNOOC. [ID:nL4N09N3R5]
Asked about the CSIS concerns, a spokeswoman for Industry Minister Christian Paradis replied: "The government has the authority to take any measures it considers necessary to protect national security."
Yet two people close to the deal noted that the Canadian government did not exercise its option to do a separate review of the potential security risks of the CNOOC-Nexen bid, again signaling its concerns were tied to overall Chinese investment rather than to this particular deal.
Under the new rules, which Paradis is responsible for enforcing, foreign state-owned enterprises can no longer buy controlling stakes in assets in the oil sands, the biggest reserve of crude oil outside Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Such enterprises can buy minority stakes in the oil sands, or majority stakes in companies outside the oil sands. Companies deemed to have strong government links will be treated with particular caution wherever they propose to invest.
"When it comes to our security and intelligence services, they would rather pull up the drawbridge than let it down," said Hampson, co-author of a report on trade ties between Canada and emerging nations that he discussed with Harper in June.

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