"Peace, flowers, freedom, happiness"--HAIR.
Thank you again!

Ask him a question, like "What do you think of Beck?" or are you going to the such and such concert? That should elicit a response, and LISTEN to what he says before you reply, and reply based upon his answer. Then you're already in a conversation. If he is interested in you, he'll pickup the thread and start asking YOU questions.

It's good to start a conversation about a neutral subject, but it doesn't send the same signal as you asking him a personal question, like "what sign are you?" (a really overused line) or "doing anything cool this weekend?". A personal question implies you're interested in knowing more about him and can work very well if done properly.

The difficult part is overcoming your shyness or fear. It's sorta like jumping into a pool. You think it's gonna be a cold shock, but you also know once you get in it won't be so bad, but you're paralyzed anyway. Fortunately in this case you can test the "waters" first by asking a few questions. His response will tell you a lot.

Remember talking to him isn't such a big deal so don't get worked up about it. If you really can't get up the courage, then maybe some mutual friend can introduce you or perhaps let you know if he's interested in you.

Sounds to me you better act fast. If he's such a great guy, some other girl's gonna get him soon!

Good luck to you!
-The Old Hippy