diff --git a/direct/src/showbase/ResourceCounter.py b/direct/src/showbase/ResourceCounter.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..55fe09d797
--- /dev/null
+++ b/direct/src/showbase/ResourceCounter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+
+class ResourceCounter(object):
+    """
+    This class is an attempt to combine the RAIA idiom with reference
+    counting semantics in order to model shared resources. RAIA stands
+    for "Resource Allocation Is Acquisiton" (see 'Effective C++' for a
+    more detailed explanation)
+    
+    When a resource is needed, create an appropriate ResourceCounter
+    object.  If the resource is already available (meaning another
+    ResourceCounter object of the same type already exists), no action
+    is taken.  The resource will remain valid until all matching
+    ResourceCounter objects have been deleted.  When no objects of
+    a particular ResourceCounter type exist, the release() function for
+    that type is invoked and the managed resource is cleaned up.
+
+    Usage:
+        Define a subclass of ResourceCounter that defines the
+        classmethods acquire() and release().  In these two
+        functions, define your resource allocation and cleanup code.
+
+    IMPORTANT:
+        If you define your own __init__ and __del__ methods, you
+        MUST be sure to call down to the ones defined in ResourceCounter.
+    
+    Notes:
+        Until we figure out a way to wrangle a bit more functionality out
+        of Python, you MUST NOT define acquire() and release() again in
+        any subclasses of your ResourceCounter subclass in an attempt
+        to manage another resource.  If you have more than one resource,
+        subclass ResourceCounter again.  See the example code at the
+        bottom of this file to see how to manage more than one resource with
+        a single instance of an object (Useful for dependent resources).
+    """
+    
+    @classmethod
+    def incrementCounter(cls):
+        try:
+            cls.RESOURCE_COUNTER += 1
+        except AttributeError:
+            cls.RESOURCE_COUNTER = 1
+            
+        if cls.RESOURCE_COUNTER == 1:
+            cls.acquire()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def decrementCounter(cls):
+        cls.RESOURCE_COUNTER -= 1
+
+        if cls.RESOURCE_COUNTER == 0:
+            cls.release()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def acquire(cls):
+        pass
+
+    @classmethod
+    def release(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        pass
+
+    
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.incrementCounter()
+
+    def __del__(self):
+        self.decrementCounter()
+
+        
+if __debug__ and __name__ == '__main__':
+    class MouseResource(ResourceCounter):
+        """
+        A simple class to demonstrate the acquisition of a resource.
+        """
+        @classmethod
+        def acquire(cls):
+            ResourceCounter.acquire()
+            print '-- Acquiring Mouse'
+        
+        @classmethod
+        def release(cls):
+            ResourceCounter.release()
+            print '-- Releasing Mouse'
+    
+        def __init__(self):
+            ResourceCounter.__init__(self)
+        
+        def __del__(self):
+            ResourceCounter.__del__(self)
+
+    class CursorResource(ResourceCounter):
+        """
+        A class to demonstrate how to implement a dependent
+        resource.  Notice how this class also inherits from
+        ResourceCounter.  Instead of subclassing MouseCounter,
+        we will just acquire it in our __init__() and release
+        it in our 
+        """
+        @classmethod
+        def acquire(cls):
+            print '-- Acquiring Cursor'
+            ResourceCounter.acquire()
+            
+        @classmethod
+        def release(cls):
+            print '-- Releasing Cursor'            
+            ResourceCounter.release()
+
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.__mouseResource = MouseResource()
+            ResourceCounter.__init__(self)
+        
+        def __del__(self):
+            ResourceCounter.__del__(self)
+            del self.__mouseResource
+
+    print '\nAllocate Mouse'
+    m = MouseResource()
+    print 'Free up Mouse'
+    del m
+    
+    print '\nAllocate Cursor'
+    c = CursorResource()
+    print 'Free up Cursor'
+    del c
+
+    print '\nAllocate Mouse then Cursor'
+    m = MouseResource()
+    c = CursorResource()
+    print 'Free up Cursor'
+    del c
+    print 'Free up Mouse'
+    del m
+    
+    print '\nAllocate Mouse then Cursor'
+    m = MouseResource()
+    c = CursorResource()
+    print 'Free up Mouse'
+    del m
+    print 'Free up Cursor'
+    del c
+    
+    print '\nAllocate Cursor then Mouse'
+    c = CursorResource()
+    m = MouseResource()
+    print 'Free up Mouse'
+    del m
+    print 'Free up Cursor'
+    del c
+    
+    print '\nAllocate Cursor then Mouse'
+    c = CursorResource()
+    m = MouseResource()
+    print 'Free up Mouse'
+    del m
+    print 'Free up Cursor'
+    del c
+        
+
+    def demoFunc():
+        print '\nAllocate Cursor within function'
+        c = CursorResource()
+        
+        print 'Cursor will be freed on function exit'
+        
+
+    demoFunc()