Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas to all! May this holiday be filled with love and peace. I wish everyone to have a prosperous New Year, too! Hope you get what you wish for this Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Pa!

Today is my father's birthday! He is now officially 56 years old! I wonder how many gifts he received when he was younger. Did people give him a single present for his birthday and for Christmas? :P

Anyway, I wish my father a good health and more happiness in life. I don't have a gift yet (I am a lousy and tardy gift giver), but I'm thinking of giving him a perfume.

Good thing I'm on break until January 5th, I will have the time to go to Secaucus to buy some stuff!

First Major Snow Storm of the Season in JC

Today is the first major snow storm of the winter season here in Jersey City. It caused closings and early dismissals on several schools across New Jersey. Although the word "snow" is usually associated with the word "pretty", THIS snow fall is nothing close to beautiful.

Later in the day, the snow fall turned into rainfall, which was good because it melted some of the accumulations on the ground. It also made the ground "slushy" - mix of snow and water. I didn't like it; as a matter of fact I compare it to "mud".

Hopefully, we have a good weather on Christmas Day.

My New Digital Camera: Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd 10MP

This is my new digital camera: Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd 10 MP (3x Optical zoom). I research a lot of camera, but I decided to go with Fuji. Basically, I was looking for a point and shoot (P&S) camera that:

• Performs well in low-lit indoor activities
• has fast shutter speed
• takes clear night time pictures
• takes high quality outdoor pictures
• is small, not bulky
• is capable of taking videos

Well, Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd does that and more.

- Low-Light Environment - Do not be afraid to take pictures if the room is poorly-lit. Fuji can use room lighting and still takes sharp photos.

- Shutter Speed - Shutter lag is the Achilles' heel of P&S camera. Fuji in my opinion is the best camera that has a minimal shutter lag (delay of taking pictures when button is pressed). However, the delay increases for low-lit environment, which is true in all P&S digital camera.

- Night Time Pictures - Fuji captures natural color of objects in the night time setting. The scenery is still sharp, and colors are vivid.

- Small and Stylish - Fuji comes in different colors, mine is black/gray. It is small -- smaller than a cellphone (Blackberry 9210), only wider and thicker by a hair. The lens doesn't not come out when you turn it on (you slide the cover to turn on) or when you zoom. It is a huge advantage as it eliminates bulkiness.

- Video Capabilities - Fuji can take videos as well. It has a different button, so you do not have to go to menu or turn other wheels. MPEG 4 format, and it offers two frame sizes.

OTHERS

- Intelligent Face Detection - One command can detect if the subject has a face. Very cool to avoid red-eye reduction and blurriness of the face.

- Tons of Pre-set Modes - There's AUTO (default), Beach, Sports, Auction, Beach, Night time, Museum to name a few. Of course, there's also the Manual if you want to configure your own setting.

- BATTERY and Memory Cards - Product comes with battery and charger. Battery life is okay, it charges 2-3 hours if your battery is fully exhausted. The camera is compatible with xd, sd/sdhc cards.


OVERALL

Overall, I am very happy with this purchase. It's easy to use and manipulate. The menu and settings are very easy to follow. Although manual setting is available, I am not using it all because of the fantastic pre-set options. I would recommend this camera if you are a kind of person who likes to carry a camera with you when you go out. It's very slim and small, and you do not have to wait if you turn it on. you'll definitely capture the moment the way you want it.

Our Champion: Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao - I can't pick words to describe his amazing fight last night. It was simply incredible. it was a display of talent, skill, and improvement, as he beat the taller Oscar Dela Hoya in a match up that many proclaim the "Dream Match".

It was more of a nightmare for Oscar Dela Hoya.

Oscar was given the edge by almost all the boxing experts. They said Oscar is well-experience, intelligent and calculated fighter, taller, bigger, and stronger. They gave Manny no chance.

But once again, in the end, it was Manny who's left standing on the canvass, raising his hands in red gloves - tearful and victorious. Symbol of Philippines hope.

Congratulations, Manny! We are very proud of you!

Lakers Absorb 2nd Loss

The Lakers and the Pacers. At first glance, it's laughable to think that this is going to be a game. It should be a blowout by the mighty Lakers.

But no. They lost, and it hurt. A body boxing out could've won them the game.

The Lakers were trailing by 1, 115-116 when Kobe took over. He hit a jumper, putting his team ahead 117-116 with less than a minute to go. But their defense on the last Pacers possession was embarrassing: they allowed Danny Granger to slash to the basket making the Lakers collapse on him. It allowed Troy Murphy to get the rebound when Granger missed the layup, and Murphy was lucky to tip the ball in as the buzzer sounded.

There was no passion for the Lakers in this game. They were over-confident, and had no sense of urgency. They were out-hustled and out-rebounded - which should not happen as they have two 7-footers and another tall one in Lamar Odom.

Result? A humiliating loss to a weaker team. The Lakers beat themselves.