Dana Parsons Dana Parsons reflects on everyday life in Southern California as a columnist for the Orange County edition. He was a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald, a reporter and editor for the Denver Post and a staff writer for Orange County Life before coming to The Times as a staff writer in 1989. He has been a columnist for the Orange County edition since 1991. Born in Oakland, Neb., Parsons received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He has received numerous awards for his work. He is also a hopeless Pittsburgh Pirates fan.