A mere 36 hours from now, I will be ensconced in a comfy seat in my local mega-movieplex, ready to sit through a second showing of "X-Men 2." I will be celebrating the official beginning of my summer with a gigantic bucket o' popcorn and a vat of carbonated beverage.

The rest of you may have your own rituals of summer ... that first beach trip, opening the family cabin, the first serious yard work-related injury; but for me it's always been when that first shiny, action-packed, plot-free summer blockbuster hits the movie theater and the popcorn machines start throwing sparks trying to keep up with the demand.

This summer promises to be one of the greatest ever. Not only do I get the "X-Men" sequel, but the first of TWO "Matrix" movies of the year, a pirate flick, an Eddie Murphy comedy, and a host of other attractions.

Perhaps the "biggest" (pardon the pun) flick of the summer features a green behemoth upon whom I spent a great portion of my comics-buying dollar when I was a sprout (OK, well into early adulthood): The Hulk.

The Hulk was always a therapeutic sort of antihero to have around. Faced with an impossible deadline? A pop quiz? No parking spaces within a mile of the mall? Just turn green, grow a couple feet and a couple hundred pounds, and your problems will evaporate faster than you can say "HULK SMASH!"

"The Fantastic Four" comics had an analog to the Hulk in Ben Grimm, the Thing, but he was handicapped by things like a conscience and sense of propriety. Hulk didn't worry about things like that. Hulk SMASH!

The nifty thing is that technology is finally catching up with imagination. Lou Ferrigno did a passable job as the live-action Hulk, but to truly convey the sheer size and power described in the comic, something like the cutting-edge CGI technology we have now was needed.

I'm looking forward to maybe a "Fantastic Four" flick next. I can see Jim Carrey as Mr. Fantastic. His face is rubbery enough to convey part of the effect without any CGI. We'd have to have some young studmuffin, maybe Ethan Hawke or Orlando Bloom, to play the Human Torch.

If I had grown up in the location of this week's Mystery Cam, I might be less movie-oriented. It's part of one of the most heavily settled and most entertainment packed shorelines in the world. Any guesses yet?

Last Week

In last week's column, the daring Ms. Bobendrier risked what at the time was certain viral death by whisking us off to Toronto. The health alert has been lifted now, though, and we're happy to congratulate the lucky (and immune) winners: Bill McLaughlin, Aric Ireland and Julie Washington.

This Week's Clues

We're back in the United States this week, and the state this cam hails from is a real breadbasket, providing produce for some pretty significant areas. This exact cam location isn't far from the hometown of a certain authoritative musician.

While you're here, you might enjoy a distinctive sort of sweet treat, or a hot dog made famous at a location a little north along the coast.

That should be plenty to get you started. Use the netcam links at left to narrow down your choices and send in your guess. The first three folks in with the correct answer will be immortalized in next week's column. Good luck!