Sorry I will make this the last reply I make on this totally off-topic subject, but the blue boxes have worked up until recently, for all I know they still do.

You just have to have a way of dialing into a country that still uses ancient technology (pre-CCIS) free of charge.

I bet some phone companies route 800 numbers that go directly into those foreign switches and some foreign countries still use SxS switches, believe it or not. Not mentioning any names,

It really HAS been years though, and things could be worlds different now.