[gentoo-catalyst] blocked packages com_err ss e2fsprogs during stage3

I had initially set out to create a new livecd, but ran into problems
with blocks involving com_err ss e2fsprogs. I then realized that
creating a livecd with a recent snapshot (Nov 20 2008) and the 2008.0
stage 3 wasn't the best way to go.

I set out to create new stage 1, 2 and 3 tarballs. I was able to create
the stage 1 and 2 (using the new snapshot) and am running into problems
attempting stage3.

Stage3 fails and below are the last few lines:

[ebuild  N    ] sys-libs/e2fsprogs-libs-1.41.2
[blocks B     ] sys-libs/ss (is blocking sys-libs/e2fsprogs-libs-1.41.2)
[blocks B     ] <sys-fs/e2fsprogs-1.41 (is blocking
sys-libs/e2fsprogs-libs-1.41
.2)
[blocks B     ] sys-libs/com_err (is blocking
sys-libs/e2fsprogs-libs-1.41.2)
 * Error: The above package list contains packages which cannot be
 * installed at the same time on the same system.
!!! catalyst: run script failed.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "modules/generic_stage_target.py", line 1250, in run_local
    "run script failed.",env=self.env)
  File "/usr/lib/catalyst/modules/catalyst_support.py", line 539, in cmd
    raise CatalystError,myexc
CatalystError
None
!!! catalyst: Stage build aborting due to error.
!!! catalyst: Error encountered during run of target stage3
Catalyst aborting....

My stage 3 spec:
subarch: i686
target: stage3
version_stamp: rwmc.001
rel_type: default
profile: default/linux/x86/2008.0
snapshot: latest
source_subpath: default/stage2-i686-rwmc.001

I would appreciate any guidance as to how I can resolve these blocks
(which issues for this appear to be tracked in 234907 but make no
mention to catalyst.) I had thought that creating new stage 1 and 2 with
new snapshot may resolve this, but apparently I am off on that
assumption.

Thanks,
Jim