Edward Snowden apparently has discovered that Moscow in December is not quite as comfortable as his previous digs in Hawaii.  So he is requesting asylum in Brazil, in an "open letter to the people of Brazil," published today in the Brazilian newspaper A Folha. Highlights include: Six months ago, I stepped out from the shadows of the United States Government's National Security Agency to stand in front of a journalist's camera. I shared with the world evidence proving some governments are building a world-wide surveillance system to secretly track how we live, who we talk to, and what we say. I went in front of that camera with open eyes, knowing that the decision would cost me family and my home, and would risk my life. I was motivated by a belief that the citizens of the world deserve to understand the system in which they live. (snip) Today, if you carry a cell phone in Sao Paolo, the NSA can and does keep track of your location: they do this 5 billion times a day to people...(Read Full Post)