Failing stata tests on debian SPARC buildbot
```
======================================================================
ERROR: test_read_write_dta11 (pandas.io.tests.test_stata.TestStata)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/tests/test_stata.py", line 247, in test_read_write_dta11
    written_and_read_again = self.read_dta(path)
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/tests/test_stata.py", line 41, in read_dta
    return read_stata(file, convert_dates=True)
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 47, in read_stata
    reader = StataReader(filepath_or_buffer, encoding)
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 343, in __init__
    self._read_header()
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 468, in _read_header
    for i in range(self.nvar)]
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 468, in <listcomp>
    for i in range(self.nvar)]
TypeError: ord() expected a character, but string of length 0 found

======================================================================
ERROR: test_read_write_dta12 (pandas.io.tests.test_stata.TestStata)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/tests/test_stata.py", line 263, in test_read_write_dta12
    written_and_read_again = self.read_dta(path)
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/tests/test_stata.py", line 41, in read_dta
    return read_stata(file, convert_dates=True)
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 47, in read_stata
    reader = StataReader(filepath_or_buffer, encoding)
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 343, in __init__
    self._read_header()
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 468, in _read_header
    for i in range(self.nvar)]
  File "/home/buildslave/nd-bb-slave-sparc-sid/pandas-py3_x-sid-sparc/build/venv/lib/python3.3/site-packages/pandas-0.13.0rc1_124_g8cd34c6-py3.3-linux-sparc64.egg/pandas/io/stata.py", line 468, in <listcomp>
    for i in range(self.nvar)]
TypeError: ord() expected a character, but string of length 0 found
```

cc @PKEuS 
http://nipy.bic.berkeley.edu/builders/pandas-py3.x-sid-sparc/builds/491/steps/shell_4/logs/stdio
