I think I just figured out the core issue of battery life
In the end the only thing a new OS does is run the hardware more efficiently, the hardware never changes. So that makes me wonder what was really chuggin this thing down depending on what OS I had installed. I think some just manage the 4G/3G/2G radio transition more efficiently than others. Some are using more juice looking for that hspa+ signal in areas that barely or don't have it at all. That is my guess.
Easy fix for me has been to just roll without the high speed radio on. Don't really need it all the time anyways. I wish there was a setting that favored the 2G unless you were actually using badwidth and then it would automaticaLly kick it up but then that would just make too much sense then would it :)