portupgrade query

[Vizion]

I have multiple lines of stale dependencies reported from pkgdb -F all of which relate to bsdpan-Archive-Tar-1.30 or 1.16 witha report that the package is held.

The lines are
Stale dependency:bsdpan-Archive-Tar-[version] -> [see NOTE below]: -> Ignored (the package is held; specify -f to force)

How do I get out of the following loop!!!!!
:
I run 
# pkgdb -f
Then try 
# portupgrade -a
and get
Stale dependency ......... manuall run 'pkgdb -F to fix or specify -O to force
I run
# pkgdb -O
then run
# portupgrade -a
and get
Stale dependencies ......manually run 'pkgdb -F' to fix or specify -O to force
NOTE
the references are to
p5-Text-Diff-0.35 (textproc/p5-Text-Diff)
etc
p5-PathTools [ver] [port]
p5- [App] [ver] [port]
thanks in advance

david