the Greater Nomadic Council

Skype

It's been around a couple of years already, so you've probably already heard about Skype, but if not, check it out. It's a good voice-over-IP client that lets you chat with friends (who have mics and speakers/headphones) anywhere for free. You can also do regular IMs and transfer files (unlimited size). I bring it up mainly to let you, dear reader, know that I'm on there and would like to chat with you. My handle should be easy enough to figure out, so gimme a call.