News-Record.com

“You called me a bad name,” Alma Adams said as she started a phone conversation with your humble correspondent earlier today.

My witty retort: “what now?”

“In the paper, you called me Syso-something,” she said.

Ah, that’s what she meant.

Adams was referring to our recent Scoopies column our award to her of the "The Sisyphus Citation." From the column:

The Sisyphus Citation

To: Rep. Alma Adams

For: Finally getting an increase in the minimum wage to pass the legislature after more than a decade of trying.

The notion of the subhead was a nod to her persistence for pursuing the minimum wage increase for more than a decade. It’s a reference to Sisyphus from Greek Mythology, who was punished by the gods with an interminable, seemingly impossible task. From Encyclopedia Mythica:

In the realm of the dead, he is forced to roll a block of stone against a steep hill, which tumbles back down when he reaches the top. Then the whole process starts again, lasting all eternity. His punishment was depicted on many Greek vases.

Less there be any doubt, it was meant as a friendly nod.