Surviving Your Co-Worker's Holiday Party

A new email arrives at your office computer. Opening it reveals a surprise invitation to a Christmas party from a co-worker, who's not really a close friend. You're honoured, of course. But there are concerns, particularly if the invitation comes from someone outside your own social scene. Suddenly you're nervous. What will this party be like? How should I behave? What should I wear?

Check the Toronto Star's list of office archetypes and their approach to holiday entertaining and you'll know What to expect when cubicle mates throw a holiday house party.

Office Lip Dubs Turn Cubicle Repression into Creative Expression

The hottest thing in workplace expression is also the latest thing in user-generated content. Office lip dubs are music videos shot with co-workers in the office and dubbed with the original artist's song.

Lip Dub - Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from amandalynferri on Vimeo.

According to the Washington Post, the term "lip dub" was coined by Jakob Lodwick, founder of the Vimeo video-sharing website, who orchestrated the first office lip dub to "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger.

"It's kind of the bridge between amateur video and actual music videos," Lodwick says. "And it's packaged so that other people can share the concept.… Any impression that this was an elaborate, carefully choreographed, thought-out piece is inaccurate. We really just threw it together quickly. It's the kind of thing anybody can do."

Read the full story: Creativity Of The Cubicle Spawns Office Lip Dubs (via Hartford Courant), then get out of your cube and and start singing.

Wired Announces 'Winners' of the Saddest-Cubicle Contest

Think life in your cubicle is bad? Check out the "winners" of Wired's Saddest Cubicle contest.

Your situation is bound to look better now.