just ran unity --reset to see if that faired any better - it looks like most of the unity desktop is restored but still got suggest raising a bug message

jim@brownie-safe-config:~$ unity --reset
WARNING: Unity currently default profile, so switching to metacity while resetting the values
Window manager warning: "" found in configuration database is not a valid value for keybinding "switch_panels"
unity-panel-service: no process found
Checking if settings need to be migrated ...no
Checking if internal files need to be migrated ...no
Backend     : gconf
Integration : true
Profile     : unity
Adding plugins
Skipping upgrade com.canonical.unity.unity.01.upgrade
Skipping upgrade com.canonical.unity.unity.02.upgrade
Initializing core options...done
Initializing bailer options...done
Initializing detection options...done
Initializing composite options...done
Initializing opengl options...done
Initializing decor options...done
Initializing mousepoll options...done
Initializing vpswitch options...done
Initializing animation options...done
Initializing snap options...done
compiz (expo) - Warn: failed to bind image to texture
Initializing expo options...done
Initializing move options...done
Initializing place options...done
Initializing grid options...done
Initializing gnomecompat options...done
Initializing wall options...done
Initializing ezoom options...done
Initializing workarounds options...done
Initializing resize options...done
Initializing fade options...done
Initializing unitymtgrabhandles options...done
Initializing scale options...done
Initializing session options...done

Screen geometry changed:
   0x0x1920x1200

unity-panel-service: no process found
Initializing unityshell options...done
Starting unity-window-decorator
DEBUG 2011-10-18 23:48:05 glib <unknown>:0 Setting to primary screen rect: x=0 y=0 w=1920 h=1200
Initializing annotate options...done
Initializing blur options...done
Initializing clone options...done
Initializing colorfilter options...done
Initializing commands options...done
Initializing cube options...done
Initializing debugspew options...done
Initializing imgjpeg options...done
Initializing kdecompat options...done
Initializing mag options...done
Initializing neg options...done
Initializing obs options...done
Initializing opacify options...done
Initializing put options...done
Initializing resizeinfo options...done
Initializing ring options...done
Initializing rotate options...done
Initializing scaleaddon options...done
Initializing screenshot options...done
Initializing shift options...done
Initializing staticswitcher options...done
Initializing switcher options...done
Initializing thumbnail options...done
Initializing water options...done
Initializing winrules options...done
Initializing wobbly options...done
Initializing zoom options...done
Setting Update "main_menu_key"
Setting Update "run_key"
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method InfoRequest proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/music does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method SetActive proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/music does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method InfoRequest proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/files does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method SetActive proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/files does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method InfoRequest proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/commands does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method SetActive proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/commands does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method InfoRequest proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/applications does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:27 unity.glib.dbusproxy GLibDBusProxy.cpp:255 Cannot call method SetActive proxy /com/canonical/unity/lens/applications does not exist
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:28 unity.iconloader IconLoader.cpp:509 Unable to load contents of file:///usr/share/icons/unity-icon-theme/places/svg/category-installed.svg: Error opening file: No such file or directory
WARN  2011-10-18 23:48:28 unity.iconloader IconLoader.cpp:509 Unable to load contents of file:///usr/share/icons/unity-icon-theme/places/svg/category-available.svg: Error opening file: No such file or directory
compiz (core) - Warn: unhandled ConfigureNotify on 0x3c0012a!
compiz (core) - Warn: this should never happen. you should probably file a bug about this.
compiz (core) - Warn: unhandled ConfigureNotify on 0x3c00466!
compiz (core) - Warn: this should never happen. you should probably file a bug about this.

process is hanging here....