Weird wireless network issue - came up when NOT requested

[Michael A. Peters]

IBM Thinkpad T20

Atheros wifi card (using madwifi)

I'm not using NetworkManager - it was continuously losing my connection,
so I turned off that daemon, and configured my user to have permission
to start both the eth0 and the ath0 interface but have them set to NOT
start at boot.

I then put the "Network Device Control" control panel and the "Network
Monitor" applet on my panel.

Works just how I want - when I need internet connection, I just specify
which interface to bring up and it comes up.

Yesterday I was on my laptop for roughly 8 or 9 hours using LyX and
playing AisleRiot Solitare (Klondike - the dondorf cards are awesome).

Left it on overnight, shut it down this morning - just powered it on,
and it brought up the ath0 connection by itself.

I checked - it still is configured to NOT start at boot. What could
cause this? Could that be a bug in gnome saving the session?

I don't want it to come up unless I request it up.
NetWorkManager is turned off (I checked, and asked its status - it's not
running)

Rawhide gnome desktop up2date except for kernel (it's running
2.6.11-1.1275_FC4) which I only plan to update every month or so (no
compiler, need to build madwifi driver on a different box)

Previously I've been shutting it off via telinit 0.
The "ShutDown" option had disapeared from gdm and the log out menu
option. They are back after last update, that's only thing I can think
of that I did differently.