This is not just a toy. It is a metaphor. (kids, look it up) It seems we spend all our days hopelessly trying to make progress, only to find ourselves right back where we started. Sigh.

But you didn't come here to be depressed... you came here to look at stupid toys. So forget what we said about the futility of human existence and check this out...

The Wheel Runner is a little mechanical Hamster who scurries inside a running wheel. As the battery-powered critter tries to run, the wheel spins under him so he can never progress very far.

It's really cute, and will make you smile. (Until you're reminded how the pathetic hamster mirrors your own frustrating life. And then it stops being cute, and becomes a cruel joke on us all.)

And if this isn't sad enough, batteries are not included.

NOTE: Because he has bummed out the entire workforce, the copywriter of the above product description has been re-assigned. He now works in the basement, walking on the huge treadmill that generates electrical power for the rest of the company.