$40?

Why aren’t you running these companies?

Quit it. I think I’m within my right to sound like a six-year old when both of you are acting like one.

Steve, we get it: you want YHOO. That’s been made clear. Bill Miller has a good point about how you don’t threaten shareholders (most of them who have zero input on the decision) with a lower price and expect them to “be on your side.”

Jerry, most folks understand you’d rather cut off a limb or put out an eye than sell to MSFT, but you said you’d sell for the right price.

Boys, it’s time to STFU in the media and sit in a room and hash this out. We all understand that every dollar you raise Steve it costs you $1.4B and that it was a rather clever (dirty?) trick for Jerry to initiate that change of control severance place.

Jerry, you’ve run out of choices. It’s been nine weeks and a magical suitor isn’t going to suddenly beam down from planet Independence. Terry Semel did a good job for the first two or three years, then, probably because he never used email and tried to turn YHOO into HollywoodNorth.com, screwed up. It was like no one in Sunnyvale paid attention to anything that was going on. Bet you never tried Yahoo customer support Jerry. Makes MSFT’s look positively sparkling.

Jerry, we know YHOO is your baby. Steve we know you’re just crazy. (OK, not really, but I loved the rhyme.)

The drama is played out. Jerry, it’s over. Nothing you and your advisors can come up with can get the YHOO share price remotely near the low 30s.

Steve, cut out the M&A bully talk and both of you: stop with the dueling press releases.

Here’s the plan: Steve, fly down in the MSFT Hybrid Jet and meet Jerry on Murphy Street. Buy the whole damn place out and just the two of you, sit and talk.

Steve, assure Jerry you’re not going to destroy something he loves. Maybe, like someone’s suggested (Kara perhaps) give him a board position. Roll all of MSFT’s online crap — yes, it’s crap, that why we’re all doing this dance — into YHOO. Keep the YHOO brand, keep 90% of YHOO and MSFT Onlines Services in Sunnyvale, like your Mac Business Unit and get going with giving GOOG a run for its money.

Jerry, due to YHOO’s inaction and horrible execution, it’s come down to becoming a division or a subsidary of MSFT or more shareholder lawsuits that you can count. If the latter happens, MSFT will swoop in in 6-9 months and take the company anyway.

Where to start? How about 35.50? It’s the exact midpoint of the offer and YHOO’s first non-negotiation negotiation price.

In the words of Larry the Cable Guy: Get’er done. Now.

(Disclosure: I was an early YHOO who no longer works there but still owns a considerable stake. My views here would be EXACTLY the same if I wasn’t long YHOO. This posting has not been checked for typos.)