It's the day after the Fourth of July holiday when even those not yet on vacation surely have mentally checked out. So what better to while away the time than the latest chatter about the next brave soul to take up the role of Yahoo CEO?

So take your pick.

AllThingsD claims that the race boils down to a choice between interim CEO Ross Levinsohn and Hulu CEO Jason Kilar. But Reuters is running a story to the effect that it's a contest between News Corp's Jonathan Miller and Hulu CEO Jason Kilar. Reuters also says that Levinsohn is not out of the running.

Sources are sources but I think the AllThingsD scenario, with Levinsohn a leading candidate, makes more sense. Given its years -- no, not months but years of turmoil -- Yahoo desperately needs continuity up top. Levinsohn's a highly-regarded executive and unless he's mysteriously come down with a case of the dumbs, Yahoo's board ought to go with a known quantity. But given the embarrassment the board suffered after choosing and then dumping Scott Thompson, this time they've got to get it right.