First, thanks for the info here and links to elsewhere. After a few responses and help from a cyber-sleuth friend my emulator, using Astro File Manager is producing installable .apk files.

The piece I seemed to be missing was including/installing some extra parts -- at least that's what I did differently before the process worked.
http://www.blogsdna.com/10400/androi...d-mac-os-x.htm

The process is still tedious, but I don't mind "SweatHogging" it to thwart Google and/or Entourage who collectively dumped us in this sewie-hole in the first place.

If somebody here had a website where these "liberated" apps could be accessed, we could keep this nonsense to a minimum! Any ideas? I'm happy to expose them in an http: folder and provide links to those I've fought to get ahold of.