Upon inspecting the power adapter, I can verify that the ring around the plug shows no indication of separating. I have attached a pic of it below:
I've never doubted the knowledge of the members on this forum, and I'm sure they'll be able to provide some more insight as the days progress.
Sadly, Apple couldn't give a rats ass about the existence of this Wallstreet (and neither would any other manufacturer whose product is well passed their life cycle), so bringing it in to the Genius Bar would be an utter waste of time.
Btw, thanks for forwarding the Apple Service manual. I'll check it out, and see what good I can make from it.