Help with async-shell-command

[Pete Ley <peteley11235@gmail.com>]

Hey,

Is there a way to call async-shell-command so that it doesn't open an
output buffer? I'm trying to write a sync routine that'll get called
pretty often and I'd like to use async-shell-command, but it always
opens an annoying *Async Shell Command* buffer, even when there is no
output. 

So far, I've sort of solved the problem by writing a wrapper function
that calls it and (delete-windows-on "*Async Shell Command*") afterward,
but this has the side effect of closing a window I was using if the
window wasn't split for the purpose of the buffer.

Is there a way I can 1) call a shell command asychronously 2) without
showing *Async Shell Command* and 3) without messing up my window setup?

Thanks
Pete