This is the story of one of the most headache inducing bugs i've encountered since i was very young. Early on in the 90s i remember encountering mysterious bugs in my C and perl and python programs that i could never comprehend. I've looked back on those times and wondered how many times it was just me, and how many times it was an issue with the tools of the era. I usually come to the conclusion: it was me. but having this type of experience really makes me wonder.