hari-bhari

it worked!!! i cut off the part where it was pinched, then used the soldering iron to slowly and carefully burn off the insulation. it more melted than burned really so it was a burn and scrape process. then i had all the contacts exposed about 1cm, but to make sure they stayed straight, i took some clear tape and cut a square and stuck two layers to the backside to give it some thickness and to make sure the contacts didnt move around. then i tested each lead with a multimeter and they all worked. so i plugged it in and VOILA, buttons work again!! thanks a bunch for the suggestion, it worked like a charm. btw this was a 9-contact flat ribbon cable with each lead being about .6mm. i probably could have worked with something SLIGHTLY smaller if i had to, but any thinner than that and it woulda been impossible.

edit: i tried using a match first to burn off the insulation, DON'T do that. it causes the plastic to shrink and brings all the leads in together. you have to keep them in a straight line if you want it to line up properly in the connector.