This is not * bold * => This is not * bold *
This is not *bold * => This is not *bold *
This is not * bold* => This is not * bold*
This is *bold* => This is <strong>bold</strong>
This is *a* letter bold => This is <strong>a</strong> letter bold
This is *a* short bold* => This is <strong>a</strong> short bold*
This is *all * bold* => This is <strong>all * bold</strong>
This is *all *bold* => This is <strong>all *bold</strong>
This is *one*bold* => This is <strong>one</strong>bold*
*a* => <strong>a</strong>
More *bolds* on a *line* => More <strong>bolds</strong> on a <strong>line</strong>
The extra stars are **inside** => The extra stars are <strong>*inside*</strong>
This*is*bold => This<strong>is</strong>bold
*Eeny*meeny*miny*moe* => <strong>Eeny</strong>meeny<strong>miny</strong>moe*
* Eeny*meeny*miny*moe* => ...<li>Eeny<strong>meeny</strong>miny<strong>moe</strong></li>...
* list* item => ...<li>list* item</li>...
* *list* item => ...<li><strong>list</strong> item</li>...
This is a bold *** text => This is an bold <strong>*</strong> text
This is a bold ****** text => This is an bold <strong>****</strong> text
Ignore *things* inside <script> var x = m*n+n*n; </script> => Ignore <strong>things</strong> inside <script> var x = m*n+n*n; </script>
Ignore <a href="/some*page*with*stars">attributes</a> => Ignore <a href="/some*page*with*stars">attributes</a>

Multiline examples:
This is not *not
bold*
 =>
This is not *not
bold*

<script>
var s = "non *bold* text";
</script>
var s = "non *bold* text"; 
 =>
<script>
var s = "non *bold* text";
</script>
var s = "non <strong>bold</strong> text";