Well.. I figured out how to decompile a ROM image (.nbh file), remove the splash screens, and recompile only the OS. It's an extra step I have to take every time a new ROM is released by vin, but it's worth the effort.
For those of you who want to attempt it...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=296311
If you can't figure out how to use NBHTool, you shouldn't be messing with it. It's fairly straight forward.