Signs

Paul Pierce never planned to leave Boston when he opted out of the final year of his contract. He just wanted to help the Celtics find him some teammates. "I never thought once about leaving the Celtics," Pierce said Thursday when the team announced he had signed a four-year deal. "I wanted this team to get better, knowing we didn't win a championship. … Also, I wanted to ensure that I had a chance to retire as a Celtic." Since losing the NBA finals in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston re-signed Ray Allen , who will be 35 on Tuesday, to a two-year contract and gave free agent center-forward Jermaine O'Neal , 31, a two-year deal.

Having collaborated with the writer and historian Tariq Ali on the documentaries "South of the Border" and "The Untold History of the United States," the iconoclastic filmmaker Oliver Stone will discuss and sign the new book that also resulted from their time together, "On History: Tariq Ali and Oliver Stone in Conversation. " Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Sat. (310) 659-3110. http://www.booksoup.com.

A mystery street artist with a sense of humor has turned parts of downtown L.A. into a guerrilla art installation. Eight neighborhood landmarks or areas have been marked with official-looking city placards that offer what appear to be background information about the location. One, for instance, says that a downtown dumpster was designed by Andy Warhol. Though the artworks are unsigned, Culture Monster has learned that they are called "Art Appears" and are the work of the artist who calls himself Wild Life.  [ Update, 12:08 p.m. Wednesday : At least two of the signs have been removed since Tuesday, one near City Hall and one near the LAPD headquarters.]

The campaign for president may have hit a new low. First my "John Kerry for President" signs that I placed on the back hill of my property were stolen. After replacing them, the signs were torn down. Now my neighbor has had his Kerry sign defaced with a Bush/Cheney sticker. If we want to bring honor and integrity back to the White House, we need a change, and we need it now. And we need those lawbreaking, unpatriotic folks who walk my neighborhood to calm down and settle in, for Kerry and Edwards soon will be our leaders for good.

Amazing, isn't it? Sign makers for foreign demonstrators can always write in English. Especially when U.S. cameras will be snap- ping. AL HIX Hollywood

Reading the article "Lack of Hospitality," by Arnold Stone (June 24), reminded me of our drive last July from Vancouver, B.C., through Washington, Oregon and into California. There were many helpful directions and signs for tourists all through Washington and Oregon, but the moment we crossed the border into California, the first sign we saw was "$500 Fine for Littering." Very few directional signs were evident along the California coast. Winding through the hills near Bodega Bay, we were strictly on our own, fervently hoping that we were heading for San Francisco.

Nowhere in Orange County is there more campaign paraphernalia than in Huntington Beach. Surf City is plastered from vacant lot to telephone pole with colorful placards for the 10 candidates in two competitive races in today's election. "We're inundated," said Arnie Samardich, a code enforcement officer for the city. "There're definitely people who don't like it much."

The telltale signs of spring are becoming increasingly evident. Extended periods of precipitation are giving way to sunnier skies and balmy temperatures. A myriad assortment of wildflowers are blooming in the normally arid and seemingly lifeless deserts of Southern California. The majestic winged eagle is venturing from her cozy nest in search of food for her offspring born during the harsh winter months past. A melancholic spirit of optimism and good feeling is naturally rejuvenating all of God's creatures.