Do you feel like you’re constantly being watched?  Well, you may just need to up your meds — or perhaps you’ve discovered just how many live video cameras are trained on us, and are viewable online.

While I’m sure the ubiquity of these cameras is a nationwide phenomenon (and one that is sure to keep growing), today I discovered on Los Angeles MetBlogs a bunch of the live Web cams around LA.  Whether you’re gazing at footprints at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, on the boardwalk in Venice, or shopping in Santa Monica at the 3rd Street Promenade…smile, you’re being photographed.

For the truly paranoid, you’ll be relieved to know that the cameras never reveal close-ups, so your misdeeds will not likely be traced to you.  The video is also, disappointingly, not in real time — most of these video feeds are only updated every few seconds or so.

The most absurd “live” cam in LA shows the fabled Hollywood sign.  Since few people venture the hike up there (and it’s a real hike), it may as well be a still picture of the sign, there’s no movement whatsoever. Perhaps it’s to scare taggers. But without a close-up, what’s the point?