Need help w/ Kodak 7440 camera

[kldmom2000]

I upgraded LAST December to the Kodak 4megapixel 7440 camera w/ Scheider lens. Yes, I know it's way out of date now only a year later!LOL! Anyway, I bought it specifically for our trip to Disney last year and I was not able to get a single nighttime shot-NOTHING came out.... I've had it now a year and over that time period, I've played w/ all different settings, read the manual, etc. and still cannot get any nightime shots to come out-esp. of Christmas lights/fireworks, etc....the best I can do is in the "nightime/fireworks" setting and it always comes out blurry because apparently both the subject and the photographer has to be completely, absolutely still... example:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/kldmom2000/100_5648.jpg I also can't get any good flash pics indoors if the subject is more than 10 feet away it seems. Until I can afford to buy my Nikon D50... can someone offer some advice/help to make me not want to take a hammer to my current camera???? Thanks in advance! :)

[SyracuseWolvrine]

The range of the flash on most consumer grade cameras is about 10 feet, so anything outside of that range, you're not going to get a great flash picture, regardless of camera settings.

What the night time settings will do is set the camera for a longer shutter speed. Thus, since the shutter is open longer, you have to hold the camera still for longer. Try using a tripod, or if there isn't one available, set the camera on a non-moving surface while you're taking a photo. (I personally have used trash can lids and fence posts with some amount of success when I didn't have a tripod with me)