diff --git a/tildetown-py/stats.py b/tildetown-py/stats.py
index 11cf49b..28f20e7 100644
--- a/tildetown-py/stats.py
+++ b/tildetown-py/stats.py
@@ -28,13 +28,11 @@ def guarded_mtime(path):
         return 0
 
 def modify_time(username):
-    p(username)
     files_to_mtimes = partial(map, guarded_mtime)
     return thread(username,
                   username_to_html_path,
                   bounded_find,
                   files_to_mtimes,
-                  p,
                   list,
                   max)
 
diff --git a/tildetown-py/util.py b/tildetown-py/util.py
index bc58dc0..7f29993 100644
--- a/tildetown-py/util.py
+++ b/tildetown-py/util.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 def slurp(file_path):
     contents = None
     try:
-        with open(file_path, 'r') as f:
+        with open(file_path, 'r', encoding="utf-8") as f:
             contents = f.read()
     except FileNotFoundError:
         pass
-    return contents
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        return contents
 
 def thread(initial, *fns):
     value = initial