I'm not sure if my wiring is correct. Also in the starter kit, I am not sure if that black piece is the potentiometer.
My crystal ball isn't woking either. Please post a link to that project, the code that you are using and a photo of your wiring.
Please read the "how to use the forum" stickies to see how to format and post code and some hints about what we need to know to be able to help you.
my picture was too big so I had to re-download it, and I uploaded the crystal ball code from the Arduino IDE.
My tablet does not have the Arduino IDE. How hard is it to post the code so that everyone has access? Besides, we need to we the code that was actually uploaded.
The harder that you make it to help you, the less help you can expect.
OP hasn't uploaded any code.
// include the library code:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
// set up a constant for the tilt switchPin
const int switchPin = 6;
// variable to hold the value of the switchPin
int switchState = 0;
// variable to hold previous value of the switchpin
int prevSwitchState = 0;
// a variable to choose which reply from the crystal ball
int reply;
void setup() {
// set up the number of columns and rows on the LCD
lcd.begin(16, 2);
// set up the switch pin as an input
pinMode(switchPin, INPUT);
// Print a message to the LCD.
lcd.print("Ask the");
// set the cursor to column 0, line 1
// line 1 is the second row, since counting begins with 0
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
// print to the second line
lcd.print("Crystal Ball!");
}
void loop() {
// check the status of the switch
switchState = digitalRead(switchPin);
// compare the switchState to its previous state
if (switchState != prevSwitchState) {
// if the state has changed from HIGH to LOW
// you know that the ball has been tilted from
// one direction to the other
if (switchState == LOW) {
// randomly chose a reply
reply = random(8);
// clean up the screen before printing a new reply
lcd.clear();
// set the cursor to column 0, line 0
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
// print some text
lcd.print("the ball says:");
// move the cursor to the second line
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
// choose a saying to print baed on the value in reply
switch (reply) {
case 0:
lcd.print("Yes");
break;
case 1:
lcd.print("Most likely");
break;
case 2:
lcd.print("Certainly");
break;
case 3:
lcd.print("Outlook good");
break;
case 4:
lcd.print("Unsure");
break;
case 5:
lcd.print("Ask again");
break;
case 6:
lcd.print("Doubtful");
break;
case 7:
lcd.print("No");
break;
}
}
}
// save the current switch state as the last state
prevSwitchState = switchState;
}
and then i tried the helllo world code:
// include the library code:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
void setup() {
// set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
lcd.begin(16, 2);
// Print a message to the LCD.
lcd.print("hello, world!");
}
void loop() {
// set the cursor to column 0, line 1
// (note: line 1 is the second row, since counting begins with 0):
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
// print the number of seconds since reset:
lcd.print(millis() / 1000);
}
Can you show how you have the LCD wired to the Arduino?
Does anything appear on the LCD? (besides the backlight)
Do you get a row of solid blocks on the first line?
Did you connect pin 5 (RW) of the LCD to ground?
Have you tried rotating the contrast pot from one extreme to the other? Most LCD displays can have the contrast pin ( 3 ) tied to ground and will give full contrast.
Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
Please read the first post in any forum entitled how to use this forum.
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html then look down to item #7 about how to post your code.
It will be formatted in a scrolling window that makes it easier to read.
Can you please post a copy of your circuit, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
A picture of your project is geeod, but wee need to see how it is supposed to be connected, please NO Fritzy pictures.
Thanks.. Tom.. 
There's a black object with shiny metallic bits on it in the image; this looks very much like a potentiometer indeed.
Are you sure you wired up your LCD correctly, with pin numbers matching the numbers in the code?