How can I create iCal events without having iCal open?

I try not to have iCal running because I've got the Dateline app that stays on my desktop. Mousing over that will give me appts and such as I need to have them.

I've found, that opening iCal and messing with the input screen for a new event is kind of cumbersome, and I'm wondering if folks have found a good way to create new iCal events w minimal interaction with iCal itself.

Today 2.5 offers this as a feature, but it's $25. Macworld also had a tip, but running that Automator action opens up iCal in the background.

Are there any other solutions out there?

 

Thanks; that's not exactly what I had in mind. I'm still not sure Today is worth it just for my simple needs.

What I'm looking for would be so much easier if Snow Leopard offered data detectors across the whole OS and not just Mail.

 

I just found iDeskCal as a half-price alternative to Dateline. I haven't tried it yet, though, b/c I'm halfway through my trial with Today. Once that trial is up, though, I'm going to give it a try.

It claims to offer "Create new events" options, and if it handles it like Today, then iCal doesn't even have to be open. I found that with Today I can create an event and it will upload to my Google calendar (using BusySync) without ever even opening iCal. Hopefully iDeskCal does the same thing.

 

Thanks; I just tried that, but it made it the event a half hour later and I couldn't specify the calendar I wanted to use. I was looking for that hint earlier, so thanks for pointing it out. It might be easier to do that regardless, so I'll keep playing with it.