Thank you all for your comments.
Well, wifey took the shattering window experience all in stride. We both figured it was a random fluke and certainly not the car's fault. In addition to what was contributed above, I've subsequently learned that rear-side-window blowouts are not uncommon in cars :shock: (but this was the front side window). A new window is being shipped from Portland to Medford and is to be installed on Monday. $100 insurance deductible.
Off-topic, but related:
Y'all won't believe what I just did for my sweetheart (wifey): I just brought home a brand-new 2006 red MT Insight for her!!

She doesn't know it yet as she's up in Oregon. Besides, this will get me off the hook for her upcoming birthday and should make up for her frightening window-shattering experience (like that rationalization, huh). :roll: This'll be her car, so she can do whatever she pleases with the lmpg. Photo of it:
http://www.KatieKat.net/Vehicles/Insight/RedInsightHome4Shrunk.jpg
Oooh, nice, I just noticed that they didn't even poke holes into the front bumper for the license plate holder (it's in the trunk). Initial impression is that the stereo is much better than my 2002 but that the stock IMA battery charging is sure slow compared to MIMA.
How did this happen? After hearing about the upcoming demise of the Insight production, I was curious as to what one costs nowadays, figuring I might be inclined to order one in a few months before they stop making them. So I googled Honda and clicked on a price quote outfit (carpricesecrets.com) who evidently pass on requests to Honda dealers... so, what the heck, I filled in the form and asked for the price on a red MT and sent it off with my name and phone number and email. Within minutes I got a phone call from a local dealer who said he had one sitting on his lot :!: :!: :!: Dumbfounded, I asked if it was a new 2006 Insight and he said yep, that it's brand-spanking-new and had been there for two weeks and they'd like to move it. This is a huge dealership and evidently their allotment had been one or two Insights/year. Long story short ... I went, I saw, I drove, I haggled, and I bought for nicely under MSRP (because it doesn't have A/C - but my other Insight does so no big deal and it makes this one lighter).
Hope the wife likes it, but I'm afraid she won't be a candidate for MIMA (sorry, Mike); however, what's to stop me from putting in "anti-theft" mods such as "fuel cutoff device" and "clutch signal deactivator" we happen to call FAS and maybe the "manual brake light activator as a safety enhancer" which happens to instigate regen, and ...? :roll:
Now we're a two-Insight family and I can keep hacking the silver Insight to my heart's content, knowing there's a backup in case I really screw it up. Next, grid charging... need to re-read all of the great writeups and find the time to play... 8) JoeS.