Anyone who finds previewing just one cable channel at a time boring will like Comcast's new offering.

The company announced today that it will introduce a new interactive on-screen program guide with video-based navigation for customers in the Puget Sound area.

Yes, but what exactly is it? The new 'Comcast Central' navigation feature lets viewers simultaneously preview as many as six different television programs in real time. With a click of the remote, viewers can then go directly to the program they want, whether it's on live TV or ON DEMAND.

Initially, the programs will be chosen by Comcast and grouped by themes, spokesman Walter Neary said today. One example could be a children's programming option that would preview Disney, PBS Sprout and Nickelodeon at the same time.

The new guide is scheduled to launch in Spokane beginning June 5, and Comcast expects all customers in Pierce County to have the new service by July, Neary said.

The new interactive program guide is replacing the existing guide available to Puget Sound and Spokane area Comcast Digital Cable customers. This guide also will support future cross-platform features that integrate Comcast's Digital Cable, High-Speed Internet and Digital Voice services.

The price in Tacoma of a gallon of regular gas rose more than a penny to a new record today, averaging $3.459. The price Sunday was $3.447 – anda refreshing $3.093 just one month ago.

Following a statewide trend, Spokane drivers saw the state’s lowest price Monday, at $3.278, while Bellingham drivers found the highest, at $3.561.

Boeing rival Airbus won an order for 10 new A330 twin-engine aircraft today from Malaysian carrier AirAsia. The airline also acquired an option for five more of the mid-sized, long range aircraft.

The planes will be delivered beginning in the fall of next year. The airline said it also was discussing buying a further 10 A330s from the European manufacturer.

Just as the encouraging news for Airbus emerged from AirAsia surfaced, other less upbeat news leaked out from another Asian Airbus customer, Thai Airways.

The Bangkok Post reported the airline is canceling orders for eight A330s. Thai Airways is still on Airbus' order list for eight A380 superjumbo jets.

Boeing's not exactly sure which flight was the record one, but based on it's calculations, one of the Boeing's 777s completed their one millionth long distance flight sometime last Friday.

Those flights are technically called "extended operations" or "ETOPS" flights. Those flights, typically over oceans, fly hundreds of miles from the nearest alternate airport where a plane could land in case of in-flight mechanical problems.

ETOPS flighs have been a benefit both for Boeing and it's airline customers. Under ETOPS, twin-engine aircraft such as the 777 can fly as far from a suitable alternate airport as 5 hours and 30 minutes flying time on one engine.

That allows airlines to route their planes the most direct routes possible to distant destinations.

ETOPS rules have allowed efficient twin-engine aircraft such as Boeing's 767 and 777 and Airbus' A330 to replace three and four-engine aircraft such as the Boeing 747, McDonnell Douglas DC10 and MD11 and Airbus A340 from international routess. Twin engine planes require less maintenance and are more fuel efficient.

The advent of ultra-reliable jet engines and the development of redundant safety and backup systems allowed the aircraft manufacturers and airlines to successfully seek ever-more-remote long distance flights from regulators.

I now pronounce you: expensive.

Discover Card today released findings from its first Wedding Shopping Survey examining spending habits of groomsmen, bridesmaids and wedding guests.
Among the findings:

• Groomsmen spend an average of $1,009 on wedding expenses -including pre-wedding festivities- while bridesmaids spend an average of $963.
• Groomsmen spend on average three times as much on the bachelor party, $289 per person, as bridesmaids do on average for the bachelorette party, at $100.
• Bridesmaids incur an average expense of $163 per person hosting the bridal shower.
• Bridesmaids spend an average $197 more for a dress, shoes and jewelry than groomsmen spend for a tuxedo or suit, at $132.
• Bridesmaids spend nearly three times more on average on hair, nails and make-up, at $74, than do groomsmen, at $27.
• It costs about twice as much to participate in a wedding as a groomsman ($1,009) or bridesmaid ($963) than it is to attend as a male ($416) or female ($393) guest.
• The top-three gifts that guests prefer to give are money (39 percent), gift cards (23 percent) and home goods such as bedding, towels and kitchen accessories (15 percent).
• The top-three gifts newlyweds would like to receive are the same: money (50 percent), gift cards (23 percent) and home goods (11 percent).
• Wedding guests say it is reasonable to spend $154 on a best friend, $129 on a family member and $71 on an acquaintance.

Citing a high demand for loans, Northwest Commercial Bank in Lakewood is issuing and offering an additional $4 million in stock.

“We’ve had more than two consecutive years pf solid growth and profits each month,” Kurt Graff, NCB president and CEO, said today. “The addition of more than $4 million in capital will allow us to increase our lending limits and better serve our business and individual customers.”

Deposits at NCB stood at $52.5 million at the end of April, and assets are at nearly $60 million. Loans have topped $49 million.

The price of the shares have been set at $21, with a minimum purchase of 1,000 shares required for new buyers. There will be an individual purchase ceiling of 20,000 shares. A prospectus is available through the bank.