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Yes, but is it running Electric Grill Linux?

I agree.

tell the system to apply only security or high-priority fixes?

ask for only packages targeted at beginners?

These two problems (and many more not mentioned) can be addressed by having subdistributions. The could be a subdistribution of Debian that never changes except security fixes. There could be a subdistribution that only contains packages for beginners.

What you are asking for is many different perspectives on how to organize software collections, and this can be done by a multi-tiered distribution system with many middlemen. I finished a thesis on this subject in 1997. Just read chapters 1,2, and 5 -- the rest talks about a specific design/implementation to address the problem that was, um, lacking.

I looked at a lot of distributed filesystems when working on my Master's thesis, and I still have an old page of links around at http://jab.org/thesis/thesis.html. The links page has pointers right up your ally (xFS, WebFS, etc.). Too bad about Coda not meeting your needs -- I, too, can't wait for it to become more popular.

I ordered one of those firecracker kits
during the last slashdot promotion and got
it two days ago. Not being sure what to
do with it, I hooked up a small lamp to the
web, here.

So now a request to turn on/off the
light can pass through the internet, over the
firecracker kit's radio link, then through my
apartments power grid to the X10 device, which
toggles the light. It's kind of a crazy way
to activate a light, but it works fine and
is kind of amusing.

Jeff