Mark O'Brien is a writer in Pensacola, where he turns out everything from books to blogs on a wide variety of subjects, often with a sense of humor.

He's socially liberal, fiscally conservative, which means he doesn't care who you marry, but he wants government to spend his tax money wisely.

Mark moved to Pensacola in 1978 after working for newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and for The Associated Press in Vermont and Atlanta.

He was a columnist, reporter and editor for the Pensacola News Journal for 23 years. He also hosted talk shows on radio and television and published two books, "Pensacola On My Mind" and "Sand In My Shoes."

He graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Boston with a bachelor's degree in English and from Troy University with a master's degree in counseling.