During the 19th and early-20th Centuries, intellectuals and
community leaders shared their ideas and thoughts in the form of a
parlor game that spoke, truthfully, about the innermost them. This
week,we speak CANDIDLY with Justin Flippen. Justin is a native
South Floridian and the former Vice Mayor of Wilton Manors. He
currently works for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and
Visitors Bureau promoting tourism-based economic development
and marketing.

Your favorite virtue.
Charity and love.

Your favorite qualities in a person.
Honesty, Integrity, Confidence, and Moderation.

Your chief characteristic.
Patriotic.

What do you appreciate most in your
friends?
Loyalty and Candor.

Your main fault.
I’m told I can occasionally be stubborn, but, hey, I am a Taurus!

Your favorite occupation.
Public servant.

Your idea of happiness.
Building a life together with the man of my dreams and creating a family. Three-day weekends also make me happy!

Your idea of misery.
Going hungry. I just love food way too much!

Where would you like to live?
In a community that socially and legally recognizes equality. I also love the outdoors and nature, so I definitely always want to be close to a National Park or two.

Your favorite authors.
Homer, Shakespeare, John Milton, C.S. Lewis, J.R. R. Tolkien, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost.

Your favorite heroes (male or female) in fiction.
Superman, Captain America, He-Man, Optimus Prime, Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Capt. Picard.

Your heroes in real life.
Jesus Christ, my grandparents, Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton.

What characters in history do you most dislike?
Tyrants, villains, those who have opposed social justice or have committed crimes against humanity.

Your favorite food and drink.
I only get to pick one food? Filet Mignon, cooked medium. A nice cold ice tea on a warm summer day can’t be beat! As for cocktails, a Pisco Sour or Vodka and soda with a splash of cranberry juice.

Your favorite names.
Joshua, Jonathan, Jupiter, and, of course, Justin. I guess I’m a bit partial to the letter ‘J.’

What do you hate the most?
Wrongdoing and those who do evil.

The reform you admire the most.
Legal equality and economic environmentalism.

The natural talent you’d like to be gifted
with.
To be able to sing a little less off key. Road trips with me singing along to music can be
fun or torture for passengers!

How do you wish to die?
Peacefully, knowing that I’ve lived a full, complete, and happy life.

What is your present state of mind?
Relaxed and reflective.

For what fault are you the most intolerant?
Arrogance.

Your personal motto.
“Tikkun Olam.” [A Hebrew phrase that translates as “making the world a better
place.”]