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Just my 2 cents among the throng and probably redundant, but the best way to sum up how to avoid excessive loss of control (sometimes it can't be helped, but the worst can always be mitigated) is to avoid sudden movements. Don't try to accelerate, brake, or steer quickly, and watch what's ahead and to the sides to try to prevent situations that make quick action necessary.
After that, good luck! As mentioned, some slipping/sliding can't be helped, and even if you get a great handle on your own ice driving, there's always the other driver.
And if you want to play around, then quick action is what it's all about!
back in Wi we used to drive on the lakes once frozen over. Esp on the smaller ones with little home buildup in the area, where we could fly around at night having a good old time. Actually would have small bonfires out there, along with some chilled beverages...
Except for the rare occasion where a tire would get cut up, never had any real issues. But we at least learned what we could do out there was not something we could do on iced roads.
Several years ago, it was raining and in the low-30s (F) as I drove to work. In the short time it took me to get dispatched, find my trailer and get hooked up, the roads turned into an icing rink. It took me almost an hour to drive the 7 miles from my terminal to the I-70/I-75 interchange. A truck that couldn't get traction had us all stuck on the ramp to I-70. Once the salt truck arrived we got moving again. My first stop was just off an exit a couple of miles down the road. The rest of the truckers stopped atop the hill, waiting for the salt trucks to do their work. I, on the other hand, decided to make my first delivery at the next exit then wait there for the roads to be cleared. It was a downhill and then an uphill before that exit ramp. I immediately realized the folly of the idea as I started own the hill. I suddenly realized I had NO braking ability whatsoever. Thankfully, I was the only fool on the road. I just rode it through and was able to slow down as I lost momentum on the uphill and I was able to get braking action in the snow at the edge of the ramp. (They say that winning Safe Driving awards is as much luck as it is skill. I don't think that's entirely wrong...)
The best bet for driving on ice is "Don't do it unless you have no other choice". Given that, take it VERY slow. Don't use engine braking OR cruise control. Other very good tips in previous posts above!
The bottom line is that ice gives you very little or NO control of your vehicle when you hit it. In another incident, I had stopped in the right lane of a bridge due to an accident ahead. Even after coming to a complete stop, my big truck started to get blown by the wind and I slowly drifted to the left. Fortunately, the car driver about to come beside me saw that in enough time to stop before I crushed him into the bridge wall. And I finally stopped before I hit the wall. Whew!
On tv they have been showing accidents by drivers skidding on ice in Pittsburgh and other East coast cities. It looks wild and helpless & a lot of fun but I am sure scary also. What can a driver do when he hits ice on the road? Not hit the brakes, right?
There are many deaths in the winter here in Indiana due to black ice. I lived out in your neck of the country for awhile and I loved not having to deal with this BS. Ice sucks. Snow sucks. Cold sucks. Winter sucks. I have been in a few benders from ice. Last year I was on my way to work going down a hill on a busy road and all the cars where just sliding and smackin each other. I managed to get my car to slide into the curb and kinda grinded against it til I got to the bottom of the hill. I had to do this so I would not go the other way into oncoming traffic and get killed. It just sucks. The whole thing. It's bad on your car and your mind and spirit.
Driving on ice is the ONLY thing I like about a New Hampshire winter.
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I suddenly realized I had NO braking ability whatsoever. Thankfully, I was the only fool on the road. I just rode it through and was able to slow down as I lost momentum on the uphill and I was able to get braking action in the snow at the edge of the ramp. (They say that winning Safe Driving awards is as much luck as it is skill. I don't think that's entirely wrong...) 
