Special thanks to Alan and Nikos for offering help. This morning I came up with a great idea for a test. I decided to re-emerge a package that I know always logs a message to /var/log/portage/elog.
The package was nvidia-drivers, and after the emerge completed, I checked /var/log/portage/elog and the expected message was there! So, it appears my system is working properly. I apparently just went through a period of time during which none of the packages brought in by emerge -uNDv world had any messages that needed to be logged. Sorry for the apparent unnecessary post. Sure is embarrassing, but I continue to learn and you guys gave some new things to try in the future. Grateful for the suggestions, billyd
