Having trouble with Conky text files

[RobertWaelder]

I'm trying to use conky to display a to do list on my desktop. Should be pretty simple, but I'm having trouble configuring the conkyrc config file correctly. I get nothing on the desktop, sometimes I can even tell that it started (because I see the desktop flicker) but nothing shows up. Here is how it looks:

# UBUNTU-CONKY
# A comprehensive conky script, configured for use on
# Ubuntu / Debian Gnome, without the need for any external scripts.
#
# Based on conky-jc and the default .conkyrc.
# INCLUDES:
# - tail of /var/log/messages 
# - netstat connections to your computer
#
# -- Pengo (conky@pengo.us)
#

# Create own window instead of using desktop (required in nautilus)
own_window yes
own_window_type override
own_window_transparent yes
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager

# Use double buffering (reduces flicker, may not work for everyone)
double_buffer yes

# fiddle with window
use_spacer yes
use_xft no

# Update interval in seconds
update_interval 3.0

# Minimum size of text area
# minimum_size 250 5

# Draw shades?
draw_shades no

# Text stuff
draw_outline no # amplifies text if yes
draw_borders no
font arial
uppercase no # set to yes if you want all text to be in uppercase

# Stippled borders?
stippled_borders 3

# border margins
border_margin 9

# border width
border_width 10

# Default colors and also border colors, grey90 == #e5e5e5
default_color grey

own_window_colour brown
own_window_transparent yes

# Text alignment, other possible values are commented
alignment top_left
#alignment top_right
#alignment bottom_left
#alignment bottom_right

# Gap between borders of screen and text
gap_x 10
gap_y 10

# Maximum size of buffer for user text, i.e. below TEXT line.
max_user_text 16384

# stuff after 'TEXT' will be formatted on screen

TEXT
$color
${color orange}TO DO ${hr 2}$color
${execi 2 less /home/robert/Documents/todo/todo.txt}

I have fiddled around with it quite a bit. At first I used cat instead of less for the last line. But replacing it with less worked, until I rebooted. I am running Hardy Heron, GNOME, and Compiz on a HP dv9000, with conky version 1.6.1.

Thanks in advance!