A Touch of the Irish

On the national scene, Irish-influenced music is hot, with groups like House of Pain and Black 47 achieving commercial and critical success.

Social Climes has noted there’s a small Celtic revolution going on at L.A. clubs as well. In addition to longtime Irish hangouts like Molly Malone’s and Tom Bergin’s on Fairfax and the Quiet Man in Santa Monica, several new spots have opened in the last few months.

Longtime Fairfax mainstay Cafe Largo is now the Largo Pub, presenting a bill of fare that includes Irish music.

On a trendy stretch of Melrose, Pog Mo Thein (“Kiss My . . . “ in Gaelic) debuted last month with a splashy opening. The night after the Oscars, the bar hosted a well-received party for “Crying Game” director Neil Jordan.

And Santa Monica is the location of not one but two new nightspots, the West End and Fair City, both featuring live music and the pub experience.

A Double Feature

Social Climes isn’t sure if this is a trend, but that way-hip coffee shop/bookstore Big & Tall has begun renting videos. As would be expected, the videos are as way-hip as any of the store’s patrons.

Store manager Lorena Bermudez describes the film selection as “a little bit on the not-so-regular video side. We don’t have any of your ‘Pretty in Pink’ kind of movies.”

What interested us was the terms of the membership. It’s $9.95 to join, which includes five free movies and two free cappuccinos. This might be the first sure sign that the Seattle-ization of L.A. has begun.

Let’s Get Specific

While looking for the perfect Mother’s Day card--you know, sentimental and sweet without crossing the line into mushy-gushy land--we noticed a rack of other greeting cards for very specific occasions. Very specific. Here are some of the categories we noted:

* Your diet is going so well.

* I like to hear your stories about our family.

* I’ve been leaning on you.

* You’re helping our country.

* I wasn’t looking for love.

* Maybe we need some time apart.

Social Climes appreciates the extra effort and sensitivity greeting card companies are putting into their product, but we still feel they lack a couple, such as:

* Thank you for being patient while I get in touch with my inner child.

* Your moldy cheese in the refrigerator makes me nauseated every time I open the door. Would you please throw it out? Thank you.