Liam Neeson Tops Box Office Once Again With ‘Non-Stop’

“Non-Stop,” over the weekend leading into the Oscars, became the latest successful action movie starring Liam Neeson, taking in an estimated $30 million, for first place at the North American box office. Mr. Neeson, 61, improbably became one of Hollywood’s leading action stars with “Taken” in 2009 after a career largely spent in higher-brow movies like “Kinsey” and “Schindler’s List.”

“Non-Stop,” produced by a team led by Joel Silver, cost about $50 million to make and was financed independently. Universal Pictures paid $13 million for domestic distribution rights. Second place for the weekend went to “Son of God” (20th Century Fox), assembled from deleted scenes and re-edited footage from History Channel’s recent “Bible” miniseries. “Son of God” took in a stout $26.5 million, according to Rentrak, which compiles box office data. A still-strong “Lego Movie” (Warner Bros.) was third, with estimated ticket sales of $21 million, for a four-week total of $209.3 million.

Are you a Smoker?

Are you among those who use cigarettes but don't consider themselves to be smokers? You then belong to the category of 'non-identifying smokers (NIS)'. 

Researchers at University of California (UC),San Diego report there is a surprisingly large number of people who say they use cigarettes but don't like them to be called smokers. 

The phenomenon has both individual and social ramifications. 

"For individuals, the behaviour puts them at many of the same health risks as identified smokers," said Wael K Al-Delaimy, professor at the UC San Diego's department of family and preventive medicine. 

"There is a risk for such smokers to continue to smoke and be adversely impacted by the tobacco they smoke. They do not seek any assistance nor do they plan to quit because they falsely believe they are not smokers," explained Al-Delaimy. 

Almost 22 percent of these smokers consumed tobacco on a daily basis. 

In their analysis, Al-Delaimy and colleagues defined NIS as people who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, reported smoking at least one day in the past 30 days or who said they smoked at least "some days". 

In all cases, when asked if they considered themselves to be a smoker, the respondents replied 'No'. 

The younger NIS are typically college students who smoke as a means of social facilitation and who believe they can quit at any time. 

Older NIS belong to the marginalised parts of society who see little advantage in identifying themselves as smokers or providing accurate reports of their smoking behaviour, said the study that appeared in the journal Tobacco Control..

4 foods you should stop eating right now

Whether you're a diet-conscious person or someone who wants to get into the habit of healthy eating, there are certain foodstuffs you shouldn't touch if you want to achieve your goal of staying fit! We list a few...

Soda

Did you know, soda is loaded with empty calories from high fructose corn syrup? What's more, you should stop drinking soda, because it is known to contribute to obesity and is also likely to increase the risk of diabetes and high-blood pressure in people.

White bread

Made out of maida, white bread is unhealthy because it is, quite literally, bleached! So this process not only rids the bread of its flavour but also of all its essential nutrients. So instead of white bread, opt for a wholesome, whole grain or brown bread for your sandwiches.

Whole dairy

Of course, dairy and dairy products are good for your health, but whole-fat dairy is full of fat and cholesterol. So always choose low-fat dairy and its products, which has all the nutrients you need.

Fast foods

The amount of calories one fast food meal contains is almost equal to the amount of calories one must consume in the entire day! While some of these calories come from protein, most come from the sugar (of the soda) and the fat (usually the burger and fries!) in the food.