HOUSTON NOTEBOOK : Paging Pierre

A lonely young woman was standing inside the door of the giant convention center adjacent to the Astrodome wearing a sandwich board that said “ Parlez-vous Francais ? I want to talk to you!” She was from Canadian broadcasting’s French-language service and needed French speakers to interview. But all she got was sympathetic smiles. Must be tough, one passerby noted. “Extremely difficult,” she sighed in a lilting French accent.

What’s Your Sign?

Among the countless signs around town: A notice tacked to a telephone pole near a gay rights protester states: “Welcome to Sodom.” A placard held by a demonstrator protesting a Christian Coalition rally retorts: “Crucifixion is not for everyone.” And at a security entrance, left, a sign warns that security recognizes no party credentials or class distinctions: “Notice: Briefcases, Tool Boxes and Lunch Buckets Subject to Inspection.”

Chilling Out

Conventioneers were greeted by unseasonably mild weather as they arrived in Houston, where temperatures normally exceed 90 degrees and humidity can be unmerciful. On Sunday, the overnight low was a mere 63 degrees, breaking a 61-year mark, and temperatures remained temperate Monday. At the Astrodome, however, officials are taking no chances. The lectern is equipped with vents that blow cold air on the speechmakers, who are expected to generate countervailing breezes of their own.