From #git on freenode:

 mcantor> jrnieder: So when I run "git branch -a", I am not seeing any remote
		branches. I am seeing remote-tracking branches.
 jrnieder> yep
 mcantor> jrnieder: But when I run "git remote show origin", I am seeing remote
		branches, and whether or not they are tracked.
 jrnieder> yep
 mcantor> That is probably one of the least intuitive aspects of any piece of
		software I have ever encountered in my entire life.
 jrnieder> heh
 jrnieder> the "tracked" bit in 'git remote show origin' output, you mean?
 mcantor> Thank you very much for the explanation, though! I'm going to go have
		a beer and possibly throw all of my computers in a ditch.
 mcantor> (Yes, that is what I mean)

For reference, here's what output from "git remote show" looks like:

 $ git remote show gitk
 * remote gitk
   Fetch URL: git://ozlabs.org/~paulus/gitk
   Push  URL: git://ozlabs.org/~paulus/gitk
   HEAD branch: master
   Remote branches:
     asdf   tracked
     dev    tracked
     lines  tracked
     master tracked
     new    tracked
   Local ref configured for 'git push':
     master pushes to master (fast-forwardable)

Please make it more self-explanatory.

Thanks,
Jonathan