DOGM163 and atmega168 problems

So, I'm trying to hook up my DOGM163 lcd display to my atmega168 in 4bit 
mode, but so far I have been unsuccessful. I followed the instructions 
on how to connect the two from this thread: 
http://embdev.net/topic/126291

I get no errors on compilation, but the display also stays blank when I 
run the program.

My power supply is 5V and I have corrected for this by not having the 
capacitors shown in the circuit diagram.

Also, my display is brand new, and I have just not gotten it to work 
yet.

I'm fairly new to microcontrollers, but I have double and triple checked 
that I have connected everything correctly, and also I am using the D 
ports like the guy in the other thread.

Thanks in advance for any help.