[spoiler=Spoilerish]On the commentary Cuse & Lindelof reveal that Emerson wrote this diary on his own. They approved on it, so I guess it doesn't reveal anything important. It just tells us about which place Ben the character is in...[/spoiler]

I definitely see "sex!" underneath the word "importantly".

slight but relevant alternative to Sassenach's transcription:

...NOT MERELY FOR THE MILITARY STRIKE, BUT FOR A *prolonged* CAMPAIGN IN THE BUSH...

We look like a very sad sort of antique army. Morale, I have to say, is as low as the circumstances ___ __ Yet for all that, I fear apprehens (cut off - apprehension?) - just a first-post WAG

JMart-good point. I stopped writing in my Journal years ago, so I kind of forgot about people who do that.

Was he writing in the diary or was he just re-reading it? Because it sounds like they ordered the food drop the Losties found in season 2 but they stole it before the Others camp came to pick it up (as written the food was so neccesary).

why can't this just be a diary, ben venting his problems to himself.. why does this have to be for someone higher or anyone at all for that matter

Hi, I think the word in the 4th row is definetively "LIMIT" and not SUMMIT too, and I know Ben doesnt write small letters in this journal, but can't help, for me one row before the last, 1st words, look like "TO CON" ?! Here is the not-overwritten picture from MaZ [ URL=Clickie ]Clickie[ /URL ] I may be wrong cause I suppose this is the journal from another perspective/screencapture than Slege's
and I haven't seen the other in original.

Dito elise...This was one of those "I can't wait 'til next week!" episodes. Unfortunetly 'next week' is 8 months away...*sigh*

FEB 2008 is too long away

yeah, who is really in charge???

First time posting so I don't know how this will look on the screen to you. Here's what I was able to make out, * - * were either missing or I disagreed with the content that was previously given and changed it. Underlines, I am still trying to figure out. What do you think?

1/12 IMPORTANT MEETING WITH TONIGHT WITH
(R) AND (H) REGARDING THE DEVELOPING SITUATION
WE ARE NOW IN DAY 3 OF OUR EXODUS FROM
THE VILLAGE AND I AM, I FEAR, AT THE *LIMIT*
OF MY TACTICAL RESOURCES. (J)s AGENDA
WHICH I DO NOT QUESTION, IS HOWEVER A *NARROW*
AND DIFFICULT ONE AND I COULD WELL WISH
WE HAD TIME TO PREPARE, NOT MERELY
FOR THE MILITARY STRIKE, BUT FOR A *PREPARED*
CAMPAIGN IN THE *BUSH*. WE ARE SHORT ON
PROVISIONS (SEASONAL) AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY
THE *LONG AWAITED* RESUPPLY OF CAMP GEAR
HAVING BEEN MISSED (AND SO *NARROWLY!) AND*
*JUST* AS OUR WATER SUPPLY *ROUTES* HAVE BEEN
CUT OFF. WE LOOK LIKE A VERY SAD SORT OF
_______ ARMY. MORALE I HAVE TO SAY I______
*POLAR* AS THE CIRCUMSTANCES, __ GET _____
YET, FOR ALL THAT, I FEAR *APPEARANCE*

BobBX542: maybe he's writing it for Locke,....their new leader

Who the hell is he writing this to/for?? This is obviously a record keeping thing of some kind, but why?? It sort of implies that there is someone above Jacob, and that is who this is for. This is really weird, and for once I am submitting to the mystery here.

J is Juliette. Ben just found out she's helping them and doesn't know why.

(R) and (M) could be Richard and Mikhail. Maybe they were planning to have ameeting.

Could the H or M stand for Magnus Hanso?

J = Jacob (most likely)

Here's my reading of the page based upon this and the previously linked screencap:

1/12 An important meeting tonight with
(R ) and (M) regarding the developing situation.
We are now in day 3 of our exodus from
the village and I am, I fear, at the limit
of my tactical resources. ( J)’s agenda,
which I don’t question, is however a hazardous
and difficult one and I could well wish
we’d had time to prepare, not merely
for the military strike, but for a ____
campaign in the bush. We are short on
provisions (seasonal) and, more importantly,
the long-awaited re-supply of camp gear
having been missed (and so necessary!) ___
just as our water supply __ have been
cut off. We look like a very sad sort of
___ army. morale, I have to say, __
____ as the circumstances ___ ___
yet, for all that, I feel _____

Sorry about the formatting. I can't seem to format my posts in the Investigations section. Any insight as to how I can do this would be appreciated.

Nice find *MaZ*!

Here is my shot at furthering the interpretation (words in all CAPS are my additions/changes):

An important meeting tonight with
(R) and (H?M?) regarding the developing situation.
We are now in day 3 of our exodus from
the village and I am, I fear, at the LIMIT
of my tactical resources. (J)'s agenda,
which I do not question, is however a nuisance
and difficult one and I could well wish
we had time to prepare, not merely
for the military strike, but for a ???
campaign in the BUSH. We are short on
provisions (???) and, more importantly,
the LONG AWAITED re-supply of camp gear
having been missed (and so ???!) ???
JUST as our water supply ??? we've been
cut off. we look like a very sad ???
??? army. Morale, I have to say, ???
ALLOW? as the circumstances WEAR ???
y??, FOR AND THAT, I fear ARRANGEMENTS

[(R)==Richard, (H/M)==?, (J)==Jack? or John?]

They have most of it figured out at:
Clickie

I couldn't paste the pic here, but check it out.

line 16 second word... Army?

The few words that can be made out sound like Ben's aware of his sad situation....

Line 12, word 1 The
Line 12, word 4 (maybe 5 hard to tell) MY

Line 6 - ......I don't question....
line 8 - had time to notice???

Line 13, word 3 = MISSED

...I am, I fear, at the limit of my...