I set off last week to disregard further examples and acquire an LCD display. The wiring of the arduino to the LCD screen was not a problem. This pin goes here for x-color display, etc. The rub was learning how to solder. I soldered about half of the pins before I found a rhythm, so I had doubt lurking in my mind when I connected the few power cables. The LCD flashed on immediately! Success! On to connect the 10 or so data cables and.... nothing. Check/recheck. Nothing.
I decided to call a friend to get some advice. Through his sagely countenance I was able to glean a better idea of how to correctly solder the joint. I went back through to reheat the joints to make sure that the pin and contact were at the proper temperature, to avoid a cold solder, and generally check the integrity of the solder. Everything went better then expected. (I made this beautiful drawing with my finger)
I realize now that I am going to need some more room. I need to figure out how to get this display wired to a breakout board so I can connect the clock to the arduino. Next goal: Output the correct time to the LCD display.