code: def vanity_simple_format(text, options={})
        open = "<p #{options.map { |k,v| "#{k}=\"#{CGI.escapeHTML v}\"" }.join(" ")}>"
        text = open + text.gsub(/\r\n?/, "\n").   # \r\n and \r -> \n
          gsub(/\n\n+/, "</p>\n\n#{open}").       # 2+ newline  -> paragraph
          gsub(/([^\n]\n)(?=[^\n])/, '\1<br />') + # 1 newline   -> br
          "</p>"
      end
docs: Dumbed down from Rails' simple_format.