First a visit with the late great George Bernard Shaw: He: If I gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with me? She: Yes. He: How about for a dollar? She (outraged): What do you think I am? He: We've already established that, madam; now we're haggling over the price. After a week of hiding in the bathroom with the door locked, pondering its virginity, it appears Yahoo is about to reject Microsoft's offer to First a visit with the late great George Bernard Shaw:He: If I gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with me? She: Yes. He: How about for a dollar? She (outraged): What do you think I am? He: We’ve already established that, madam; now we’re haggling over the price.After a week of hiding in the bathroom with the door locked, pondering its virginity, it appears Yahoo is about to reject Microsoft’s offer to buy the company for $45 billion. Not because Yahoo is determined to remain chaste and in charge of its own future, but because the bid was too low.In other words, we’ve established what Yahoo is; now we’re just haggling over the price. Investors made Microsoft’s job harder by boosting Yahoo’s share price to just under what MSFT originally offered — so much for that “generous 62 percent premium” — while trimming Microsoft’s own share price by 14 percent. So the cash-and-stock deal that started out at $44.6 billion is worth slightly less than $42 billion today. That may be one reason why Steve Ballmer decided to stop baring his fangs and dish out some sweet talk. “We’ve got tremendous respect for what Yahoo has accomplished,” said Big Bad Ballmer in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. At the same time, he’s rumored to be asking Yahoo’s rich uncles — its heavyweight investors — to urge the reluctant maiden to put out. Still, flowers, chocolates, and arm twisting only go so far. Microsoft will have to lay down more green — possibly $40 per share, upping the total package to around $55 billion. And at that price Yahoo will have to say yes. After all, it isn’t getting any younger or prettier. But I can’t expect Jerry Yang or the rest of the Yahoo gang to lay back and enjoy it. To quote Hunter S. Thompson: Old whores don’t do much giggling. UPDATE: In a rumor so ridiculous I couldn’t resist reporting it here, Yahoo may be considering buying AOL as a way to fend off Microsoft. (Or so claims the Times of London.) Isn’t that a bit like trying to avoid a train wreck by setting fire to your caboose? Are you fascinated by the whole Microsoft-Yahoo thing, or do you wish it would just go away? Post your thoughts below or e-mail me at Cringe Central. Top tipsters are in line for frosty cool swag. Think you’ve got the right stuff to pass our tech quizzes? They’re not as easy as they look: • The InfoWorld News Quiz • Test Your Geek IQ • Test Your Network Security IQ Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business