Success! Beware of your Javascript variable names...

Yes! My validation finally works! The problem was that I was using variable names like "first-name", "last-name", etc. Apparently, you cannot use the dash within a variable name. It seems to be ok within IDs, but not ok within Javascript variables. The function interprets the dash as a minus sign and causes the function to subtract "name" from "first". This is obviously a big no no. So the moral of the story is to beware of the names you use for your variables. Don't use dashes!

Here are some additional rules for naming your Javascript variables as taken from this link:

1.
A variable name cannot start with a numeral. For instance, 3x or 2goats or 76trombones would all be illegal variable names.

You can, however, have numbers within a JavaScript variable name; for instance or up2me or go4it would both be perfectly valid variable names.

2.
You cannot have a mathematical or logical operator in a variable name. For instance, 2*something or this+that would both be illegal... because the * and the + are arithmetic operators. The same holds true for ^, /, \, !, etc.

3.
You must not use any punctuation marks of any kind in a JavaScript variable name, other than the underscore; for example... some:thing or big# or do'to would all be illegal.

The underscore is the exception, and it CAN be used at the beginning, within, or at the end of JavaScript variable names. You can use names like _pounds or some_thing or gallons_ as variable names and they are perfectly legal.

4.
JavaScript names must not contain spaces. Ever.

5.
You cannot use JavaScript keywords (parts of the language, itself) for variable names. Thus window or open or location or string would be illegal. Check a JavaScript reference if in doubt as to whether something is or is not part of the language -- JavaScript has grown into a fairly fully-fleshed language, so you may get some occasional surprises.

You can, of course, use what are otherwise keywords as parts of variable names. For instance, thatWindow or someString or theLocation would all be perfectly acceptable.

6.
JavaScript variable names are CASE-SENSITIVE. Programmers in other languages are often tripped up by this one, as some languages are not sensitive to case in variable names.

For instance, all of the following names would be considered completely different variable names in JavaScript: gasbag Gasbag GasBag gasBag

(just kidding, all you really need is more cowbell)