used like puts color("yellow", "Morgan")

colors.rb

# this file provides a method for formatting color using ascii escapes

def color(color, content)
  style = {'clear' => 0, 
           'bold' => 1, 'underline' => 4, 'blink' => 5, 'hide' => 8, 'black' => 30, 'red' => 31,
           'green' => 32, 'yellow' => 33, 'blue' => 34, 'magenta' => 35, 'cyan' => 36, 'white' => 37, 'bgred' => 41,
           'bggreen' => 42, 'bgyellow' => 43, 'bgblue' => 44, 'bgmagenta' => 45, 'bgcyan' => 46, 'bgwhite' => 47}
  if style[color] != nil
    "\033[#{style[color]}m#{content}\033[0m"
  else
    content
  end
end

colors2.rb

class String
   # extend String with nice colors!

    COLORS = {
      'clear' => 0, 
      'bold' => 1,
      'underline' => 4,
      'blink' => 5,
      'hide' => 8,
      'black' => 30,
      'red' => 31,
      'green' => 32,
      'yellow' => 33,
      'blue' => 34,
      'magenta' => 35,
      'cyan' => 36,
      'white' => 37,
      'bgred' => 41,
      'bggreen' => 42,
      'bgyellow' => 43,
      'bgblue' => 44,
      'bgmagenta' => 45,
      'bgcyan' => 46,
      'bgwhite' => 47
    }


  def method_missing(name, *args, &blk)
    if COLORS.keys.include? name
      # surround self with the funky stuff
    else
      # someone called a method that has
      # nothing to do with colors and doesn't exist
      # call original method_missing 
      super
    end
  end
end