Today brings an interesting answer to that age-old question: How do murderous dictators endear themselves to members of their adoring/oppressed public (beyond the usual death threats, endless propaganda reels, and incredible displays of nationalistic pride like this one)?

North Korea‘s Kim Jong-un takes a novel approach to the challenge of better serving the people who never directly supported him in the first place: today his nation’s state-run media let the world know that he sent every single North Korean child 2.2 pounds of candy in celebration of his own mysterious birthday (no one can agree on his age).

While this tradition is unusual, it’s nothing new: it began with the current dictator’s own grandfather. The logic behind the strategy is perverse, but we have no doubt that these yearly gift baskets serve as bright spots for the citizens of a nation as restricted and suppressed as North Korea.

Now we’re curious about Google‘s “don’t be evil” co-founder Eric Schmidt, who arrived in the world’s evil-est country today alongside former New Mexico governor and United Nations ambassador Bill Richardson. What’s he doing there, exactly?

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Bill Richardson, former Democratic Congressman, Energy Secretary, New Mexico state governor, and Presidential contender has joined APCO Worldwide as chairman of the executive advisory service, Global Political Strategies (GPS).

In addition to his political work domestically, he was also the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Though he did not go on to run for President, Obama had selected Richardson for commerce secretary. He had to withdraw his name due to a federal investigation, which was later dropped.

Richardson joins Mark Medish, who was just recently appointed MD of GPS. Richardson will be based in New Mexico with an office in the APCO D.C. location.