Recent antenna discussions here lead me to the following observations:

1. To some extent, you can bend a half wave antenna in places other than, 
and in addition to the angle at the center. The important things to remember 
are to bend each side in approximately the same place, and to avoid angles 
less than 90 degrees.

2. Doing so will cause a slight change in the radiation pattern, in the 
length necessary to obtain resonance on a given frequency, and in the 
bandwidth within which a tuner may not be necessary, but only scientific 
instruments will detect the very slight decrease in overall antenna 
efficiency.

3. The absolute best resource for this and reams of other antenna-related 
information is

http://www.cebik.com

Once there, go to the Tales and Technicals page.
While some of the charts and graphs there won't work for us screen reader 
people, the associated text is a gold mine of information.

4. Regarding the statements above about bending an antenna, look at the 
following items from his antenna pages:

The zigzag dipole, and the b antenna.

So, put a pretzel in the air and enjoy the hobby.

Mike Duke, K5XU
American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs