Check out The Times at its new size
Pick up your copy at area news stands and retail outlets to see the changes we've made. Or subscribe to the print edition.
To comment on the changes, write Executive Editor Mitch Clarke at The Times, P.O. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503 or e-mail him at editor@gainesvilletimes.com.
For anyone who picked up a copy of The Times today, they may have noticed it lost a little bit of its girth overnight.
But while the pages are a bit smaller, we're still packing them full of local news, opinions and other area happenings. And the only changes you'll see online are added comics.
But since we had to embrace the size change, we thought it would only be appropriate to find some other fun, small things we run across in our daily lives.
Because while many people feel bigger is better, that's not always the case.
"Small animals ... I don't like big animals," said Nicole Bishop, 19, of North Hall. "And people. I don't like grown-ups. They're too serious."
She and friend Jessica Cooper, 18, also listed small feet (it's easier to find shoes you like), small sewing kits and flowers as other small things they enjoy.
"And small cars compared with big cars," Cooper added.
Tiny bites of food is also something that comes up on people's list of small favorites.
Area radio personality Martha Zoller noted she had a penchant for small Hershey's Special Dark chocolate bars, while Angie DeLong, who was preparing favors with Zoller before a recent North Hall drama department play, placed her vote for minicupcakes.
Glen Kyle, managing director of the Northeast Georgia History Center, said among historical artifacts, small items were often cherished more. Something that's a small size makes it easy to carry, giving the owner a greater attachment to the item, no matter its true monetary value.
He cited photographs, books and specifically Bibles as things that hold great personal value.
"If someone can carry something, it takes on greater value to them because they can take it with them, short term or long term" he said.
Scandalous!
When small hit the fashion world, it ended up creating an icon. The bikini made its debut in 1946 and has been shrinking ever since. Many women might argue it's not the highest point of fashion's advancements, but many men might argue differently.
Portion control?
Forget small serving sizes, we're embracing small bites of scrumptious food, such as tarts, petit fours, tea sandwiches and bite-sized cookies.
Keeping it on the books
The Guinness Book of World Records is full of documentation of the biggest, fastest or most of most things, but occasionally they note the smallest, too. We found the citation for the world's smallest "artiodactyl mammal" (or, an even-toed hoofed mammal), which is the lesser Malay chevrotain, or lesser mouse deer. It's no bigger than a rabbit. Also, in February of last year, NXP Semiconductors in the Netherlands introduced the world's smallest GPS chip, measuring 3.6 by 2.4 by 0.6 mm.
Refreshingly small
We are lucky to live in a time of so many breath mint choices. And with the introduction recently of new Altoids Minis, complementing the small mints sold at Starbucks, we can enjoy fresh breath without worrying about large mints, too.