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    Be Aware Upper West Siders, You’re Being Watched

    March 30, 2025 | 8:07 AM
    in ABSURDITY, ART, COLUMNS
    17

    By Gary Martin

    More than ever our words and digital actions are being monitored by, well…everyone. So now everything can be made public in an instant.

    I have a devil on one shoulder for sure, but the angel on the other is always asking me, “Are you sure you want to write that??”

    * * *

    Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than 30 years. His illustrations appear in the Rag on Sundays, chronicling life in the neighborhood, New York City, and the Universe. See them all here. For a broader range of Gary’s work, including animations and other motion graphics, please visit www.martoons.com

    Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.

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    Please limit comments to 150 words and keep them civil and relevant to the article at hand. Comments are closed after six days. Our primary goal is to create a safe and respectful space where a broad spectrum of voices can be heard. We welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage readers to engage critically with one another’s ideas, but never at the expense of civility. Disagreement is expected—even encouraged—but it must be expressed with care and consideration. Comments that take cheap shots, escalate conflict, or veer into ideological warfare detract from the constructive spirit we aim to cultivate. A detailed statement on comments and WSR policy can be read here.

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    17 Comments
    Debfrombrooklyn
    Debfrombrooklyn
    1 year ago

    I’m certainly sure that I’m going to look forward to next Sunday’s cartoon, as you seem to be reading my mind! This current cartoon is perfect! How can we quiet our brains?

    1
    Reply
    Marie
    Marie
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Debfrombrooklyn

    Yoga, meditation, long walks, no social media, limited news intake, conversations with loved ones!

    1
    Reply
    Nancy
    Nancy
    1 year ago

    There is no such thing as fully private or confidential information in our online world anymore. Always think twice before you hit “send!” . Great cartoon this week, in light of the Signal fiasco.

    0
    Reply
    Jillian Maxwell
    Jillian Maxwell
    1 year ago

    🤔

    0
    Reply
    Peter Birkenhead
    Peter Birkenhead
    1 year ago

    Well this hits home, sadly. Finger right on the pulse, as always. ❤️

    2
    Reply
    Terry
    Terry
    1 year ago

    How true! So often I rethink… and delete my post. I so enjoy your spot-on cartoons!

    1
    Reply
    Neal Leibowitz
    Neal Leibowitz
    1 year ago

    The internet knows all my secrets. It just doesn’t care.

    4
    Reply
    Laurie K
    Laurie K
    1 year ago

    Ugh SO true. SO sad.
    Always right with the moment Gary!

    1
    Reply
    Ashen
    Ashen
    1 year ago

    So freaking true. What is going on!,,,

    1
    Reply
    Steve
    Steve
    1 year ago

    There are so many emails that I write to get something off my chest, but don’t send. Most times, just writing it does the trick!

    4
    Reply
    Ergo
    Ergo
    1 year ago

    I remember when an opinion was not career ending.

    5
    Reply
    Mark
    Mark
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Ergo

    Not that I don’t care about peoples’ careers — mine included — but I’m more missing the days when having an opinion didn’t mean that you might be detained at the airport and held indefinitely for questioning, hoping all the time you weren’t shipped off to El Salvador.

    10
    Reply
    David
    David
    1 year ago

    It’s a new world, just not mine anymore. I’m happy in my bubble.

    2
    Reply
    Nina DiGioia
    Nina DiGioia
    1 year ago

    Don’t do it!!!

    1
    Reply
    Joe Chiplock
    Joe Chiplock
    1 year ago

    I think it is very wise to pause a moment before posting anything online…NOT to censor oneself, but just to be clear about one’s intent and the choice of words…

    4
    Reply
    Howie Cherpakov
    Howie Cherpakov
    1 year ago

    This is why I don’t comment on anything on line. (He says, commenting on something on line.)

    1
    Reply
    Sandi
    Sandi
    1 year ago

    And I thought the headline referred to all the cameras on the streets. It’s creepy.

    2
    Reply

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