diff --git a/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_center.9.png b/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_center.9.png
index c69bc87..50a9521 100644
--- a/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_center.9.png
+++ b/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_center.9.png
Binary files differ
diff --git a/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_left.9.png b/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_left.9.png
index ca901da..78cbaf9 100644
--- a/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_left.9.png
+++ b/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_left.9.png
Binary files differ
diff --git a/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_right.9.png b/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_right.9.png
index 810c4d4..6cf8ead 100644
--- a/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_right.9.png
+++ b/res/drawable-hdpi/hotseat_bg_right.9.png
Binary files differ
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java b/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java
index ee61a91..cb19fe3 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher2/LauncherModel.java
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 import java.text.Collator;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -71,10 +71,14 @@
     private final LauncherApplication mApp;
     private final Object mLock = new Object();
     private DeferredHandler mHandler = new DeferredHandler();
-    private HandlerThread mWorkerThread;
-    private Handler mWorker;
     private LoaderTask mLoaderTask;
 
+    private static final HandlerThread sWorkerThread = new HandlerThread("launcher-loader");
+    static {
+        sWorkerThread.start();
+    }
+    private static final Handler sWorker = new Handler(sWorkerThread.getLooper());
+
     // We start off with everything not loaded.  After that, we assume that
     // our monitoring of the package manager provides all updates and we never
     // need to do a requery.  These are only ever touched from the loader thread.
@@ -116,10 +120,6 @@
         mAllAppsLoadDelay = app.getResources().getInteger(R.integer.config_allAppsBatchLoadDelay);
 
         mBatchSize = app.getResources().getInteger(R.integer.config_allAppsBatchSize);
-
-        mWorkerThread = new HandlerThread("launcher-loader");
-        mWorkerThread.start();
-        mWorker = new Handler(mWorkerThread.getLooper());
     }
 
     public Bitmap getFallbackIcon() {
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@
         item.cellX = cellX;
         item.cellY = cellY;
 
+        final Uri uri = LauncherSettings.Favorites.getContentUri(item.id, false);
         final ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
         final ContentResolver cr = context.getContentResolver();
 
@@ -159,7 +160,11 @@
         values.put(LauncherSettings.Favorites.CELLY, item.cellY);
         values.put(LauncherSettings.Favorites.SCREEN, item.screen);
 
-        cr.update(LauncherSettings.Favorites.getContentUri(item.id, false), values, null, null);
+        sWorker.post(new Runnable() {
+                public void run() {
+                    cr.update(uri, values, null, null);
+                }
+            });
     }
 
     /**
@@ -270,11 +275,11 @@
     static void deleteItemFromDatabase(Context context, ItemInfo item) {
         final ContentResolver cr = context.getContentResolver();
         final Uri uriToDelete = LauncherSettings.Favorites.getContentUri(item.id, false);
-        new Thread("deleteItemFromDatabase") {
-            public void run() {
-                cr.delete(uriToDelete, null, null);
-            }
-        }.start();
+        sWorker.post(new Runnable() {
+                public void run() {
+                    cr.delete(uriToDelete, null, null);
+                }
+            });
     }
 
     /**
@@ -372,7 +377,7 @@
                     oldTask.stopLocked();
                 }
                 mLoaderTask = new LoaderTask(context, isLaunching);
-                mWorker.post(mLoaderTask);
+                sWorker.post(mLoaderTask);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1158,7 +1163,7 @@
     }
 
     void enqueuePackageUpdated(PackageUpdatedTask task) {
-        mWorker.post(task);
+        sWorker.post(task);
     }
 
     private class PackageUpdatedTask implements Runnable {
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java b/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java
index 7761cb3..c182209 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher2/Workspace.java
@@ -653,10 +653,7 @@
             return true;
         }
 
-        if (mVelocityTracker == null) {
-            mVelocityTracker = VelocityTracker.obtain();
-        }
-        mVelocityTracker.addMovement(ev);
+        acquireVelocityTrackerAndAddMovement(ev);
         
         switch (action & MotionEvent.ACTION_MASK) {
             case MotionEvent.ACTION_MOVE: {
@@ -741,12 +738,7 @@
                 mTouchState = TOUCH_STATE_REST;
                 mActivePointerId = INVALID_POINTER;
                 mAllowLongPress = false;
-                
-                if (mVelocityTracker != null) {
-                    mVelocityTracker.recycle();
-                    mVelocityTracker = null;
-                }
-
+                releaseVelocityTracker();
                 break;
                 
             case MotionEvent.ACTION_POINTER_UP:
@@ -846,10 +838,7 @@
             return false; // We don't want the events.  Let them fall through to the all apps view.
         }
 
-        if (mVelocityTracker == null) {
-            mVelocityTracker = VelocityTracker.obtain();
-        }
-        mVelocityTracker.addMovement(ev);
+        acquireVelocityTrackerAndAddMovement(ev);
 
         final int action = ev.getAction();
 
@@ -922,18 +911,20 @@
                 } else {
                     snapToScreen(whichScreen, 0, true);
                 }
-
-                if (mVelocityTracker != null) {
-                    mVelocityTracker.recycle();
-                    mVelocityTracker = null;
-                }
             }
             mTouchState = TOUCH_STATE_REST;
             mActivePointerId = INVALID_POINTER;
+            releaseVelocityTracker();
             break;
         case MotionEvent.ACTION_CANCEL:
+            if (mTouchState == TOUCH_STATE_SCROLLING) {
+                final int screenWidth = getWidth();
+                final int whichScreen = (mScrollX + (screenWidth / 2)) / screenWidth;
+                snapToScreen(whichScreen, 0, true);
+            }
             mTouchState = TOUCH_STATE_REST;
             mActivePointerId = INVALID_POINTER;
+            releaseVelocityTracker();
             break;
         case MotionEvent.ACTION_POINTER_UP:
             onSecondaryPointerUp(ev);
@@ -943,6 +934,20 @@
         return true;
     }
     
+    private void acquireVelocityTrackerAndAddMovement(MotionEvent ev) {
+        if (mVelocityTracker == null) {
+            mVelocityTracker = VelocityTracker.obtain();
+        }
+        mVelocityTracker.addMovement(ev);
+    }
+
+    private void releaseVelocityTracker() {
+        if (mVelocityTracker != null) {
+            mVelocityTracker.recycle();
+            mVelocityTracker = null;
+        }
+    }
+
     void snapToScreen(int whichScreen) {
         snapToScreen(whichScreen, 0, false);
     }