STARS ON STARS.(The Talk of the Town)(parties)

Jimmy Wales, the creator of Wikipedia, was honored by Time last week at a gala dinner for him and ninety-nine other of the world's "most influential" people. The Time 100, as they were called, had been divided into categories that brought to mind a game of Trivial--or, in some cases, Serious--Pursuit: "Artists & Entertainers," "Builders & Titans," "Leaders & Revolutionaries." Wales, according to Time, "is celebrated as a champion of Internet-enabled egalitarianism. He describes himself not as anti-elitist but as 'anticredentialist.' "A fine credo, actually, for the evening: a sort of velvet-roped, live-action Wikipedia royale in which list members assessed fellow-partygoers, absent any particular qualification besides their mutual influentialness.

"I'm desperate to meet Rachael Ray," Wales said. "During cocktails, J. Lo bumped up against me, and I was, like, 'Eh.' " He shrugged.

Lopez's husband, Marc Anthony, seemed, on the other hand, firmly in her sway. "I still haven't been able to get her to drink a beer," he said, pushing a glass of lager in her direction. "I don't like beer," Lopez said.

Steve Wynn's wife, Elaine, was excited to meet Condoleezza Rice. Ralph Nader, sitting next to Wynn, just had. "I talked to Condi Rice about the plight of the Palestinians and the collapse of their health-care system," he said. "She said that they'll get emergency medicines to them as soon as possible." Nader and Steve Wynn were, as Elaine put it, "just getting reacquainted, which is a lovely thing."

"Steve, before I forget, will you give me your card?" Nader said.

"I don't have one, but I'm an easy ...