XHTML validation and help docs

I think xhtml is a good idea but w3 is sure as heck making it hard for us, webnewbies, to code!
friggin impossible to find answers to problems. like <ol> in a transitional dtd just doesnt work. something to bout not being inside an object,map,iframe,ins,del startag....etc . what the hell is this stuff?!!?! I dont need it. I just want an ordered list damnit. And I for one certainly cant make heads to tails out of the 
http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/dtds.html
the dtds normative section blows. my brain hurts just looking at and my sincerest apologies to the creator(s) just reading it thru gives me a headache actually writing that would give me an aneurism. 
anyhow thats my 2 cents and nested flame :)


Aaron B Snobel