Slightly modified version of jQuery Mobile's event handlers so can be used standalone without the rest of the framework

jquery.mobile.event.js

/*
* jQuery Mobile Framework : events
* Copyright (c) jQuery Project
* Dual licensed under the MIT or GPL Version 2 licenses.
* http://jquery.org/license
*/
(function($, undefined ) {
  
  $.extend( $.support, {
  	orientation: "orientation" in window,
  	touch: "ontouchend" in document
  });

  // add new event shortcuts
  $.each( "touchstart touchmove touchend orientationchange tap taphold swipe swipeleft swiperight scrollstart scrollstop".split( " " ), function( i, name ) {
  	$.fn[ name ] = function( fn ) {
  		return fn ? this.bind( name, fn ) : this.trigger( name );
  	};
  	$.attrFn[ name ] = true;
  });

  var supportTouch = $.support.touch,
  	scrollEvent = "touchmove scroll",
  	touchStartEvent = supportTouch ? "touchstart" : "mousedown",
  	touchStopEvent = supportTouch ? "touchend" : "mouseup",
  	touchMoveEvent = supportTouch ? "touchmove" : "mousemove";

  // also handles scrollstop
  $.event.special.scrollstart = {
  	enabled: true,
	
  	setup: function() {
  		var thisObject = this,
  			$this = $( thisObject ),
  			scrolling,
  			timer;
		
  		function trigger( event, state ) {
  			scrolling = state;
  			var originalType = event.type;
  			event.type = scrolling ? "scrollstart" : "scrollstop";
  			$.event.handle.call( thisObject, event );
  			event.type = originalType;
  		}
		
  		// iPhone triggers scroll after a small delay; use touchmove instead
  		$this.bind( scrollEvent, function( event ) {
  			if ( !$.event.special.scrollstart.enabled ) {
  				return;
  			}
			
  			if ( !scrolling ) {
  				trigger( event, true );
  			}
			
  			clearTimeout( timer );
  			timer = setTimeout(function() {
  				trigger( event, false );
  			}, 50 );
  		});
  	}
  };

  // also handles taphold
  $.event.special.tap = {
  	setup: function() {
  		var thisObject = this,
  			$this = $( thisObject );
		
  		$this
  			.bind( touchStartEvent, function( event ) {
  				if ( event.which && event.which !== 1 ) {
  					return;
  				}
				
  				var moved = false,
  					touching = true,
  					origPos = [ event.pageX, event.pageY ],
  					originalType,
  					timer;
				
  				function moveHandler() {
  					if ((Math.abs(origPos[0] - event.pageX) > 10) ||
  					    (Math.abs(origPos[1] - event.pageY) > 10)) {
  					    moved = true;
  					}
  				}
				
  				timer = setTimeout(function() {
  					if ( touching && !moved ) {
  						originalType = event.type;
  						event.type = "taphold";
  						$.event.handle.call( thisObject, event );
  						event.type = originalType;
  					}
  				}, 750 );
				
  				$this
  					.one( touchMoveEvent, moveHandler)
  					.one( touchStopEvent, function( event ) {
  						$this.unbind( touchMoveEvent, moveHandler );
  						clearTimeout( timer );
  						touching = false;
						
  						if ( !moved ) {
  							originalType = event.type;
  							event.type = "tap";
  							$.event.handle.call( thisObject, event );
  							event.type = originalType;
  						}
  					});
  			});
  	}
  };

  // also handles swipeleft, swiperight
  $.event.special.swipe = {
  	setup: function() {
  		var thisObject = this,
  			$this = $( thisObject );
		
  		$this
  			.bind( touchStartEvent, function( event ) {
  				var data = event.originalEvent.touches ?
  						event.originalEvent.touches[ 0 ] :
  						event,
  					start = {
  						time: (new Date).getTime(),
  						coords: [ data.pageX, data.pageY ],
  						origin: $( event.target )
  					},
  					stop;
				
  				function moveHandler( event ) {
  					if ( !start ) {
  						return;
  					}
					
  					var data = event.originalEvent.touches ?
  							event.originalEvent.touches[ 0 ] :
  							event;
  					stop = {
  							time: (new Date).getTime(),
  							coords: [ data.pageX, data.pageY ]
  					};
					
  					// prevent scrolling
  					if ( Math.abs( start.coords[0] - stop.coords[0] ) > 10 ) {
  						event.preventDefault();
  					}
  				}
				
  				$this
  					.bind( touchMoveEvent, moveHandler )
  					.one( touchStopEvent, function( event ) {
  						$this.unbind( touchMoveEvent, moveHandler );
  						if ( start && stop ) {
  							if ( stop.time - start.time < 1000 && 
  									Math.abs( start.coords[0] - stop.coords[0]) > 30 &&
  									Math.abs( start.coords[1] - stop.coords[1]) < 75 ) {
  								start.origin
  								.trigger( "swipe" )
  								.trigger( start.coords[0] > stop.coords[0] ? "swipeleft" : "swiperight" );
  							}
  						}
  						start = stop = undefined;
  					});
  			});
  	}
  };

  (function($){
  	// "Cowboy" Ben Alman
	
  	var win = $(window),
  		special_event,
  		get_orientation,
  		last_orientation;
	
  	$.event.special.orientationchange = special_event = {
  		setup: function(){
  			// If the event is supported natively, return false so that jQuery
  			// will bind to the event using DOM methods.
  			if ( $.support.orientation ) { return false; }
			
  			// Get the current orientation to avoid initial double-triggering.
  			last_orientation = get_orientation();
			
  			// Because the orientationchange event doesn't exist, simulate the
  			// event by testing window dimensions on resize.
  			win.bind( "resize", handler );
  		},
  		teardown: function(){
  			// If the event is not supported natively, return false so that
  			// jQuery will unbind the event using DOM methods.
  			if ( $.support.orientation ) { return false; }
			
  			// Because the orientationchange event doesn't exist, unbind the
  			// resize event handler.
  			win.unbind( "resize", handler );
  		},
  		add: function( handleObj ) {
  			// Save a reference to the bound event handler.
  			var old_handler = handleObj.handler;
			
  			handleObj.handler = function( event ) {
  				// Modify event object, adding the .orientation property.
  				event.orientation = get_orientation();
				
  				// Call the originally-bound event handler and return its result.
  				return old_handler.apply( this, arguments );
  			};
  		}
  	};
	
  	// If the event is not supported natively, this handler will be bound to
  	// the window resize event to simulate the orientationchange event.
  	function handler() {
  		// Get the current orientation.
  		var orientation = get_orientation();
		
  		if ( orientation !== last_orientation ) {
  			// The orientation has changed, so trigger the orientationchange event.
  			last_orientation = orientation;
  			win.trigger( "orientationchange" );
  		}
  	};
	
  	// Get the current page orientation. This method is exposed publicly, should it
  	// be needed, as jQuery.event.special.orientationchange.orientation()
  	special_event.orientation = get_orientation = function() {
  		var elem = document.documentElement;
  		return elem && elem.clientWidth / elem.clientHeight < 1.1 ? "portrait" : "landscape";
  	};
	
  })(jQuery);

  $.each({
  	scrollstop: "scrollstart",
  	taphold: "tap",
  	swipeleft: "swipe",
  	swiperight: "swipe"
  }, function( event, sourceEvent ) {
  	$.event.special[ event ] = {
  		setup: function() {
  			$( this ).bind( sourceEvent, $.noop );
  		}
  	};
  });

})( jQuery );

what exactly was changed to make this work without the entire framework? I woud like to use the latest version of this file with your modification... thanks!

@mikepuerto - now that's a question!! I believe it was simply adding in the following at lines 9-12:

$.extend( $.support, {
    orientation: "orientation" in window,
    touch: "ontouchend" in document
});

There may have been other minor edits though, I'm not sure... :/