Which Distro?

[Daniel C.]

Okay, I've got a Linode server with their minimal Debian distro on it,
and it's just not doing it for me.  I'm trying to run the following:

emacs/slime/sbcl, apache, mysql/postgresql, php/python, django, RoR,
mod_python, mod_lisp... basically just messing around with a bunch of
web frameworks in different languages.

The problem I'm running into with Debian is that a lot of the Lisp
stuff I need is in unstable, so I went ahead and installed the
unstable packages on top of (and intermingled with) a bunch of stable
packages.  This was at the direction of someone on #debian, and
apparently it's the Wrong Thing (according to yet more people in
#debian).

In general, I like a small, clean distro that's got no bells or
whistles, unless I add them myself.  At first I thought that's what
Debian would be, and it was, until I got into this whole Lisp mess.
Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks,
Dan