[thaumasiotes]

But the variable doesn't contain the number 1. As is clearly explained in the comment, it's only initialized to 1; it contains any arbitrary power of 3 (I'm assuming "arbitrary" because the variable is passed by address to a function accepting a pointer; as long as that kind of thing is going on, who knows what's inside the variable). And that's true from initialization onwards, as 1 is the 0th power of 3.

If I adjust your comment to "for a variable whose only purpose is to be passed to another function as the parameter called 'three', 'three' is a shitty name", would you endorse that sentiment?