Well, we're almost into the office holiday party season, and if you're like me, you view them with some disdain.

Don't get me wrong. My current radio station's holiday party last year was awesome. Great food, fun times with staff, important clients and friends of the broadcast group, recording amusing greeters to be used on Christmas day, and so on.

The fact is that many holiday office parties don't live up their billing.

First off, they tend to occur at an awkward time of the year. For many businesses, the fourth quarter is the busiest. Taking time off to attend a party, particularly on one's day off can be a real inconvenience. Also, since many people do tend to drink at such affairs, it raises the risk of being arrested on the way home. On the two Saturday nights before the holiday, catching drunk drivers must be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Speaking of drinking, since most businesses do not allow tippling during business hours, many people are getting intoxicated in front of people they've always been sober with before. This is at least partially why such events can wreck a career or even marriage as a drunken or buzzed employee tells the boss to piss off or gets an attractive co-worker into the supply closet.

Even at gatherings where drinking is off-limits or low-key, some will continue to practice office politics or bullying. Making targeted workers sit alone, or leaving them out of Secret Santa or Yankee gift swaps is just another way to isolate and psychologically abuse them...

As I mentioned, office holiday parties can be great fun, but usually because the employer has fostered a positive work environment in the first place.

I'm no Scrooge, either. My son was born on Christmas Day, and my birthday is on the Twelfth Day of  Christmas. I grew up in a tiny village known as Bethlehem...

My real problem with holiday office parties? They aren't really about the holidays and aren't what I call partying!