Things I learned lately 10 July

• There is much more energy potential in the rotational energy of small black holes than even the total fusion energy of stars.
• Over the years, Ford owned or had major stakes in Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercury, and Aston Martin, but these brands have either been sold or disbanded.
• Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company. After a dispute between Henry Ford and his investors, Ford left the company in March 1902. Engineer Henry M. Leland persuaded Ford's financial backers to continue manufacturing automobiles under a new name, the Cadillac Automobile Company, re-purposing the original factory. It was named after French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who had founded Detroit in 1701.
• The reason traffic circles are inherently safer intersections is that you have to slow down to go through them, and no roads intersect at 90 degree angles, making any collision that does take place much less dangerous.
• Europe, especially the Netherlands, does not make much use of stop signs. In fact studies show that stop signs make intersections more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Getting a better deal when you buy a new car at the end of a month, quarter or season is generally true.
• Waiting until after you negotiate the new car price to mention the trade-in is NOT necessarily a good idea because the dealer will just low-ball you on your trade-in.