Minimize launched programs at startup?

[reubs]

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I've got a question that's bugging me...

I launch Thunderbird and ical at every start up, but I don't like minimizing them...doesn't take much effort but I don't like doing regardless.

Is it possible to have apps launched at startup to be minimized (for lack of a better word) into the dock at startup, or is this a job for Automator? If so, how would I go about using that?

Thanks for any info.

 

[SilentPanda]

System Preferences, Accounts, Login Items, click Hide.

Should do it for most apps (Mail.app doesn't work for me still for some reason).

 

[reubs]

Knew it was something that simple. Thanks much.