Man, this Microsoft-Yahoo saga is driving me nuts. Initially when Microsoft bidded $44.6 billion for Yahoo, the internet pioneer firmly said no as it thought the price which Microsoft was offering was too low. Then the software behemoth raised its bid by roughly $5 billion, but still Yahoo was in no mood of merger at this price. Then finally when Microsoft was pissed-off, it backed out of the deal this weekend saying Yahoo was asking too much. And boy, on Monday the stock market responded in Microsoft's favor -- Yahoo's stock price was down 15 percent. So now after considering market's reaction, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang changed his position and said that he had actually been seeking common ground when MS abruptly ended deal talks.

"We were negotiating a way to find common ground and then on Saturday they chose to walk away," said the 39-year-old co-founder of the pioneering Internet company. "They started it and they walked away."

Asked if Yahoo would still leave a door open for Microsoft to return, Yang said: "If they have anything new to say, we would be open. ... I am more than willing to listen."

Wondering who'll have the last laugh. Anyone willing to bet on Ballmer?

[Reuters]