[sllug-members]: Google Talk, VOIP, Asterisk = free phone?

[Chad]

Hello!

I'm going blind tonight trying to figure out how to be the cheapest
person on the planet.  Well, ok, at least in my neighborhood.

I was reading about Google Talk, which sounds pretty cool (but doesn't
sound different to me than 5 years ago when you could chat with Yahoo
IM?) and thought it resembled Skype.  So I set out on a quest to see
what I'm missing.  It seems that Google Talk doesn't provide a phone
number, nor the ability to call one.  You can only 'call' people in
your address book or other email addresses (who then receive invites
to gmail in addition to your 'call').

So then I started researching what it would take to pair up a phone
number service with Google Talk.  Quickly I came across a site that
provides free phone numbers to pair up with SIP info (which I have no
clue what that means).  IPKall.com gives you a free (Washington State)
phone number that you associate your SIP information with.  So I then
spent a fair amount of time researching whether Google Talk provides
SIP information, and if so, what it is and how I can use it with this
IPKall.com service.  I couldn't really find a straight answer, so I
emailed google and we'll see if I ever get a response.

So then I started finding keywords that were obviously necessary for
my quest.  Shortly I came across Gizmoproject.com and Tapioca.  Now I
have flooded my brain with entirely too much 'just take it for what
it's worth' information, so I really can't groke what these sites are
offering, but they look like my answer.  I also came across a site
talking about integrating Asterisk into this whole enchilada; which to
me makes me think I could setup Asterisk at say, my mom's house, and
Asterisk at my house, and dial 3 numbers and call her.  But more
importantly, I could then call anyone on the planet via google talk
and this IPKall.com setup.

So...

Ultimately my question I am leading to:
Is there a free lunch?  Is it possible to get a free phone number that
Dick Clark can call me at, and I won't have had to spend a dime to win
my $10 million bucks?  And more importantly, can I use my 1983 AT&T $5
telephone plugged into my wall to call into work sick?

I know we have some Asterisk gurus here, so I figured this might be a
good place to discuss this.

Thanks!

-Chad