This problem is extra annoying because for the first few months it happens it just unpredictably fails to recognize Home button presses sometimes.

But since merely buying an iPhone (and not taking the time to jailbreak it) already makes me a supplicant to the corporate interests that render their verdicts on what I may and may not do with it, I suppose that hey, if dirty wants his money, i'ma just give him his money...buying a new iPhone 4S will fix this (temporarily, one might surmise, since it's likely the very same home button assembly).