git/cogito usage scenarios for CVS refugee

Trying to get my head around what usage patterns the git infrastructure supports. I'm interested in exploring more git-centric approaches...

For a project that uses CVS with a classic HEAD and FOO_15_STABLE approach, where FOO_15_STABLE gets only fixes -- how do I manage HEAD and XX_STABLE where some patches that work well in HEAD I may decide to merge into XX_STABLE, and some security patch may be applied first to XX_STABLE and then to HEAD? I can apply the patch on both branches -- yep. But does git help me in keeping track of what's been merged?

Does git help in any way to keep track of patches across 2.6.11.12 and 2.6.12rc5 ?

In a git-based project, one developer is about to merge from someone else's tree, are there any tools to review the patchlog that is about to be applied (or replayed?) against his tree? Is there any way to say "of the 20 commits that I'm about to merge, hold off 2" other than letting git apply them ... and backing them out right next?

And generally, is there any long-lived branch support? If I am to run a "local branch" of the Linux kernel, does git help me at all?

So far I think the answer is "no -- you'll need to keep track of your damn patches somewhere else" ;-) but there's a lot about the git mindset I don't quite understand yet. And I'm sure that the workflow of the Linux team must have some ancillary tools & strategies to keep track of this.

cheers,

martin